The Last War
by Esani
Summary: Link has gone through Hell for Hyrule many times in her long life. On her deathbed the Goddesses ask one more favor of her, which will allow her to live the heroics-free life she always wanted. All it requires is her winning one last war... Ganondorf/Link
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Don't own anything that's from Zelda canon (obviously), but I do have OCs in here that you can use if you reference where you got them. The Gerudo language is from Iron Dune. This is my first fanfic, so bear that in mind, and any constructive criticism is appreciated. This first chapter is dialogue, original Zelda and background heavy but it is unfortunately necessary the way I have the story planned but everything should flow from there. Thank you for reading!

Chapter One

The End of an Era:

Link had known her death was coming for quite some time and had prepared for it as much as anyone can truly be prepared for death. She had trained her successor for Gerudo High Priestess extensively. She had said her farewell to her few remaining friends, Darunia and Link being foremost. Gorons were hell to kill and had abnormally long lives that offset their low numbers and fertility, so Darunia would likely outlive her by quite a few years yet. She smiled fondly at recalling her Sworn Brother. The Gorons would continue to prosper for the remainder of his rein at least, though she suspected Link would be an excellent leader as well. But even with all of her preparation, actually dying was… frustrating, to her and her companions.

In her worst fights, she at least could fight. Dying was inevitable and while she had accepted that fact, she was still not happy about it. She had resigned herself to die when facing Ganon. She had resigned herself to die when Majora's Mask forced her to use the Fierce Deity's Mask. She had resigned herself to die when she returned to Hyrule and fought in the War of the Lost and the Desert War. When she didn't, she got used to living. She had become a powerful sorceress and warrior during the Desert War, learning the arcane arts of the sages and other magic. She also became Chosen High Priestess of the Sand Goddess, with the signs of her station forever marked on her face. And while she never took a lover or consort, she had lived a full and content, if a little lonely life in the Spirit Temple (with the exception of the Spirits who became her constant companions, of course).

When she returned to the Temples after the War with her improved abilities with the sages' powers inside her, the Spirits assigned one of their own for each of the elements to be her companion and partner. They had been her one constant these long years, and she could see her death was going to hit them hard. Even Thanatos, her loyal Shadow, was beyond comfort as even he could not traverse the Spirit Realm to the land of the mortal dead. But as she began to fade away, she had a harder time focusing on them… And with the last regret of never seeing them again, she was gone.

Or so she thought. When she opened her eyes and found herself standing on that infernal blue dais in the Sacred Realm, she was understandably confused. This was not where mortals went after death… Though seeing the three Golden Goddesses answered a few questions.

Farore was the first to notice her, and she greeting Link with a smile. "It's been a while Hero."

Link cautiously nodded but spoke bluntly. "Why am I here and not moving onto the Summerlands?"

"Hyrule needs your help." Nayru stepped forward.

Wasn't that always the case? She bit her cheek to keep from voice that thought.

The blue Goddesses kept speaking. "As you well know, we cannot directly affect the course of events in after we finish initial creation. We can make appearances, grant small miracles and inspire others to achieve certain outcomes and the like. Mostly, we act through our avatars in the mortal worlds, the holders of the Triforce. Again, as you know, there are many realities that co-exist beside each other—alternate realities. In one of these realities, we have very little sway. The Ocarina of Time cracked without the Triforce ever being touched. We have next to no presence there and a war is coming, the last war that will annihilate that reality if they do not have our help. We… cannot bear to leave our children without the little aid we can offer. Mortals are to carve out their own paths, but all deserve the basic protection we give."

"So you are sending me." Link deadpanned.

"Right on." Din smirked and leaned back on the chair of flames that spontaneously appeared. "You are by far the most powerful incarnation of 'Link' any of the worlds have to offer."

"Explains why you are sending me; but why not contact that reality's rendition of myself? Two 'Links' in one world…. That typically does not bode well for either."

"She died." Link looked to Farore. "As you know… You are Hylian royalty, Zelda's presumed dead elder sibling—sisters in your case and in this one, which is odd actually. 'Link' is typically male. But I digress, she was actually killed the night the Ocarina broke—which is why we need you in this reality." She sat down and motioned for Link to do the same. Link did, joints creaking. "In your reality, the night your mother fled with you to the Lost Woods, the people who orchestrated the attack on Hyrule Castle did not get to the Ocarina. Your mother fled with you, and died from the injuries meant for you. In this reality, the Bek people got to the Ocarina and broke it, and the Queen and Link were ironically lost to the Lost Woods…" Farore paused and glanced at Din, who took over.

"The Bek are a hardy people that live on the plateau, desert and ravines beyond Hyrule Field and Death Mountain. The Bek Nation consist of tribes who are loosely affiliated with each other, though the infighting only stopped to organize that attack, at which point they were allied with the Gerudo. After the attack, the Gerudo came forward and admitted to what had happened, but the damage was already done. The Hero of Time is dead, Zelda was born and raised with no idea of her sister and the Ocarina of Time lost forever." Din stretched and leaned forward in her chair, flame-red eyes looking eye level with Link.

"So here's the deal: you will be de-aged so you will be of about ten years. You'll start out how you did originally and the handicaps that come with but you will have all your knowledge. You go in and live out your lifetime again. You fulfill your destiny as Hero of Time once more and then you never have to save the world again."

Link looked wearily at the goddesses then at her wrinkled and dry hands, contemplating the deal.

Din smirked and continued to sweeten it. "You'll have your Spirit companions and Epona again. No one knows you to be the Hero of Time. You'll have control." She leaned closer. "You can hide that you are royal, you can prove your claim to be Zelda's sister. You can become a ranch hand or a mercenary, whatever you want after you complete this one last war. That's all. Anything else that occurs you do not have to participate in. Beyond the Bek, this is your life. You won't fight this reality's Ganondorf for the Triforce. That and once this one war is completed, the other two you experienced won't happen. What say you?"

Link kept her eyes on Din as she thought, though she kept her face expressionless. After a few moments, she sighed. Not that she really had a choice anyway… "What about my weaponry and items?"

"Your items and weapons will all be where you found them in Termina and Hyrule." Farore assured. "With the exception of the Ocarina of Time, of course."

"I'll have to relearn my magic..?" It was more of a statement than a question, but a question none-the-less.

Farore nodded. "A child's body cannot physically cope with the power you currently contain. But you'll have all the knowledge; you just need time to relearn and master the spells as well as to build up your magic power."

"Very well. But I have a few stipulations." Her face hardened, reflecting the terrifying warrior she had been, eyes boring into Din's as she began her list. "I am holding you to _everything_ you promised me now: Epona, Thanatos and the others, and about my things and magic. Especially about not being involved beyond this if that is what I wish. That and I want MY companions, the ones who have been with me the past sixty three years. I will never need for money, one way or the other. I will age as the Gerudo do. You will send me visions or other help in pointing me in the right direction to make sure things end optimally, as well as information in how this reality is different from my own. The Skulltula curse on the family in Kakariko will be lifted even without my help. And lastly I will have an adequate substitute for the Master Sword if I am unable to wield that blade, and that substitute will not be the Gilded Sword."

Farore smiled. "All are acceptable and are granted. Let me warn you though: everything was the same until you were killed. Everything after may be different. The people may be different. Those who were allies may be enemies and vice versa. People you do not expect to exist will. You need to re-forge your connections to those you were close to. You'll have to relearn your control."

"Understood," Link acknowledged.

"But to get you started… The Deku Tree knows of what is happening and can give you more information about the goings on of your new world. Use the first few years to become common-place, make friends in both Hyrule and Termina. I'd recommend that you retrace the path you took to find the Spiritual Stones, except… Do not go to the castle." She paused, obviously contemplating how best to put this. "You… still will have your High Priestess marks. We cannot interfere with another Goddesses' chosen in that aspect. While the Gerudo have made their peace with the King, they are still regarded very suspiciously and the marks will be recognized by the guards and Royal Family, possibly by some commoners. It could cause you trouble."

Link nodded and stretched. "Is that all then?" At the Goddesses' nods, she grinned. "Good. I wouldn't want to know too much off the bat, that'd make things less fun."

Nayru laughed and a smile made its way on Farore's lips. Din chuckled, "We'll be in touch."

Link nodded and then the blue light engulfed once again.

Brave New World:

Dark clouds billowed over Hyrule Castle. Gorons were fighting monsters and a brown-haired race of humans on the castle lawn. She was running through the halls, past fallen guards and attackers towards the Throne Room. She angrily burst through the doors and froze at the sight. _Ganondorf_ was chained spread-eagle to the wall on the east side of the room, his amber eyes smoldering. Nabooru and other Gerudo that were presumably elite guards (judging by their clothing's color) sprawled on the floor around him, unconscious and also tied down. Impa was unconscious in front of the throne, in a state similar to that of the Gerudo. All of the Hylian guards were dead, sprawled around the room. On the throne, was the sorcerer, who smirked and lifted his hand to control a spell. Zelda turned around, lightning dancing in her hands, an evil smirk that looked very out of place graced her lips before she let the lightning loose.

Link woke up to Navi bouncing around shouting that ever annoying "Hey! Listen!" She groaned and sat up. "Finally you woke up! The Great Deku Tree wants to see you! I will be your escort!" She nodded and got up, and ignoring the fairy and her protests about time (hah!), took a good look at herself by peering into a bowl of water on her table.

She stared at her reflection for a moment. It was one thing to feel young again and another to see it. Her wrinkles were gone, her skin soft and supple. Her hair golden and pulled back into her traditional hat. The blood red fang-like Priestess marks under her eyes were clearly visible, and more prominent against her lighter forest-dweller's skin. Removing her gloves confirmed the Triforce of Courage on the back of her hands. Looking at her arms and torso confirmed her Goron and other tattoos were gone, which sent a harsh pang through her. She could only hope and pray that Darunia would be as close here as he was previously. She forced that thought away and duly noted the lack of sword and shield; which would likely be quickly remedied given her first time around.

On impulse, she decided to go through her enchanted satchel (which had been a gift from the Great Deku Tree a few years before she started her journey, if she remembered correctly). She stared at the Giant's Wallet, which was conveniently stuffed with Rupees. She gaped at (and felt another pang at the sight of) the broken Ocarina of Time. But the next item caused her jaw to literally drop. The Fierce Deity's Mask. She stared at it a moment. It was an unexpected, but welcome development. She could hold onto her other masks this time. She mentally thanked the Goddesses for that favor before finally leaving her house.

Immediately, she had dealt with a nostalgic conversation with Saria regarding fairies and a still-irritating one with Mido before grabbing the Kokiri Sword and buying a Deku Shield. Apparently the Goddesses decided to let her have an actual background with the Kokiri in this world, though they kept calling her Lyn... She figured that would be soon explained.

She felt her heart constrict when she saw the Great Deku Tree. She hadn't known him for most of her life, but he was still the first real parental figure she had.

"Ah, Navi, thou hast returned. Lyn, welcome." She half-bowed. "Navi, thank ye for completing this task. Ye may leave if ye wish."

"It was my pleasure, Great Deku Tree!" And thankfully, Navi left. Not that she really disliked the fairy, as Navi was well-meaning, but she was also very, very annoying.

"Thou surely wishes to get to the heart of the matter?" The Deku Tree asked. Link nodded. "Very well. Farore brought thee to me, and insisted thou raised as Kokiri. She told me of thy circumstances and history and requested we call ye 'Lyn' instead of your given name of 'Link' in case ye wished to remain out of Hylian politics. It is up to ye to choose which ye prefer. Thus, we raised ye. Now, the time has come for ye to leave us and go out into the world. Ye know what ye need to do. Art thou prepared?"

"I am." Lyn agreed.

"Excellent. Now, I believe if thou takes a look at this chest in front of me, ye will find an item useful to ye." Lyn let out a breath when she claimed the Fairy Slingshot. "Two things before ye go. A very good friend of yours, if I am not mistaken, is waiting for you just outside the clearing. Secondly… I wish you to have this." A familiar green light sprung up around the Great Deku Tree. Lyn opened her hands to have the light consolidate and form the Kokiri Emerald in them. "Take good care of it. It may be of use to ye yet." She bowed again before slipping it into her satchel. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree." With one last smile, she left the clearing to encounter another very familiar fairy. Lisander started circling when she stopped, as if nothing had changed (as if she hadn't died). Wiping away a tear, she whispered a "thank you" to her guardian Forest spirit before moving on past Mido to leave the Kokiri Forest. Like her previous life, Saria stopped her to give her the Fairy Ocarina, though she did teach her Saria's Song immediately this time.

With a hug, she was off. Lyn understood why she had been warned against Hyrule Castle Town. Hylians were notorious xenophobes beyond the races they were mildly comfortable with. Even then, the Zoras, Gorons and Sheikah kept to themselves for good reason. The Gerudo were also looked down upon, but were tolerated by the males. Lyn smirked. Not so much by the females. But her marks would make her stand out, even if she was Hylian. Sighing, she decided she had been warned for a reason. She would rather not find out why, even if a Hylian Shield would be handy for her eventual climb of Death Mountain. So, she turned instead for Lon Lon Ranch. She heard Malon singing Epona's Song as soon as she stepped onto the ranch. A smile stole across her lips. Some things never changed, including their first meeting. She left the next morning, with a "new" song and friend and a heartfelt promise to visit soon as she left for Kakariko. She made a bee-line for the graveyard and used the Nocturne of Shadow to warp to the ledge, for it was conveniently out of sight for what she had planned. Using the Sun's Song to make it night also helped as he sat down and summoned the little magic in her control and her body could handle.

Now, it was pitiful compared to what she formerly wielded, but the knowledge was a great head's up. Taking a very deep breath, she focused. She only had one shot. Lisander wisely took on the form of a Kokiri and placed a hand on her shoulder. Their bond was already strong, so his presence did lend her some more energy to work with. She focused on the other five bonds and _called_ because she couldn't stand the _emptiness_ there one second longer, and it hadn't even been a day.

Thanatos was one of the oldest Shadow spirits in existence, in any reality. He had seen and felt many things in his life, including the soul-wrenching pain of losing a bonded mortal, but being banished to another reality was not one of them. (The combination of both was a complete upheaval for him.) But, neither was finding two people with the same magical signature, even if they were incarnations of the same person, something he had experienced. So, he made his way to the temple entrance, where he could taste the magic in the air and it had the most familiar, beautiful spice to it. Lisander jumped—as well as a fairy could at any rate—when he melted out of the shadows in Sheikah form, red eyes falling on their—_his_—bonded. He immediately walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, adding his power to the summons. And with that touch, all was right in his world.

The Fire spirit arrived next. Resata had the second strongest connection with their charge and he was the second closest in location, so this was not surprising. His arrival was less subtle than Thanatos', as he came in a flash of fire. He immediately placed his hand next to the Shadow spirit's and relaxed when he felt the bond.

The Water spirit Selin and Vanis of the Light appeared next, through condensation and a flash of light respectively, and added their power to their chosen's to call the last spirit. And none were surprised at all when Esani showed, looking all for the world like a Gerudo, and laying her hand on the Hylian to seal the bond. With a collective sigh, they all backed away, except for Thanatos, who let Lyn lean against him. She yawned, exhausted from spending all of her magical energy in one go. He smiled and adjusted so she rested more comfortably against him, his false body providing heat. The other spirits sat surrounding them, letting Lisander update them on the situation and Link's apparent name change. He idly listened, but stayed more focused on the Hylian in his arms. Well, at least things wouldn't be dull, he figured as he ran his tongue over his fangs. Things never were with her around.

She woke up with the sun and completed a familiar ritual to the spirits, the Greeting of the Sun. While she was technically not a Priestess, the Greeting was good for waking up, would help her focus her magic and increase her flexibility. Slipping into the first position, she let her new body get comfortable with the movements. She would need to be loose later, when she engaged in the Gerudo pastime of rock climbing to bypass the guard to get up Death Mountain. Why couldn't any of her spirits have some sort of explosive capacity? It would be much easier to go through the Lost Woods. But, she managed to somehow climb up the mountain as warping into the Crater would be suicidal at this point, even with Resata's help.

She even managed to meet Darunia and get on the Gorons' good side. It turned out the Dodongo infestation was not Ganondorf's doing, so she ended up being Sworn Brothers with Darunia the same way she had in her previous life (and finally picking up that stupid Bomb Bag…). Though 'Brother' was a bit of a misnomer beyond the gender difference. Upon learning she was an orphan, Darunia insisted on 'adopting' her as well. Not that Lyn really minded as he didn't impede her travelling. It was… nice, being close to the Goron again. Darunia had been one of the few constants in her previous life and it looked like he would be here too. For this, she was extremely grateful.

The Zoras were a little bit more difficult initially without the Lullaby but then the headstrong princess unwittingly solved her problem. Ruto, being the rebellious child she was, snuck away to Lake Hylia, where Lyn and the others happened to be fishing. It was another easy, fast friendship forged that resulted in a boomerang and a Hylian "learning" the Zoran language. Lyn had been invited to, and attended, every annual Zora Lakeside retreat ever since and was overall very popular among the aquatic race. Especially considering she kept the willful princess somewhat in check….

She made herself a fairly common face (though she did hide her face markings with an illusion) in the markets and villages, enjoying the friendships cut short by war there and often visiting her friends all over the country. She did take a detour into Termina when she was about thirteen; and that escapade ended as it had in her previous life, though she kept all of her masks this time around and equipment. Sure was sure the six bottles would come in handy, in addition to the three she was certain she could collect in Hyrule. It was until she returned to Hyrule that she ran into the Gerudo. And by ran-in, she stole the thief's wallet. Nabooru hadn't been very happy about it, but had been impressed nonetheless and took Lyn under her wing. The two were soon, pardon the expression, thick-as-thieves.

Nabooru had been exiled by her people for two years for pissing off Ganondorf and had no problems teaching the kid her people's ways, language and skills. The kid, she noted, took to it like a fish to water, soon being on par with her in everything except for weaponry in a year and a half. Nabooru suspected it was because Lyn was holding back more than any lack of progress. Before they knew it, her time was up and Nabooru regretfully left Lyn behind, with a pair of high-quality scimitars, a traditional gemstone hair-tie and the promise to get in touch in a few years. Nabooru figured her living in the Hylian world would give her valuable information on the current events and villages and that she would soon be a very important asset because of this. All of which would cause a rise through the ranks. She wasn't wrong.

After Nabooru left, Lyn polished her skills and magic, by far surpassing where she had been her second time around at fifteen, even thirty. She was at Mastery with her Sage abilities once she visited (and looted) the temples, ocarina magic and basic spells, while absorbing and mastering the useful powers from her masks. So far all but the Giant's Mask had been absorbed. Though she did put the Postman's Hat, Keaton's Mask, Don Gero's Mask, Romani's Mask, Gibdo Mask, Garo's Mask and the Captain's Hat aside, as they were useful and she could not pull anything out of them. Kafei's Mask, the Couple's Mask, and the Circus Leader's Mask were given to the Happy Mask Salesman. Kamaro's Mask was given to the Rosa sisters. The Fierce Deity's Mask was still kept in her satchel, hidden in a separate almost-pocket. Of course, her Gerudo magics were supposedly, sadly, almost non-existent. Nabooru taught her a few useful spells, but… she missed the Desert magic. She could use it, but if one of the Gerudo in the area picked up on it, she would have a lot of explaining to do and she didn't care to be stabbed or kidnapped to be trained as Priestess to the Sand Goddess.

She figured in two more years would be when the war would most likely start up, so she continued to bond and spend time with her friends, both in Hyrule and Termina. She also upped her training and took to spending more time at the Goron City, mostly talking with Darunia. It was during one such visit she received her Goron's Ruby tattoos on her upper arms from her family. She also took to learning Goron history as well as "learning" the language. While Zoras communicated with a combination of hand signals and sounds that carried underwater, the Gorons had a very complex vocal language that dealt with vibrations. So either way, as a Hylian she could only understand so much but it was enough to get a gist if it wasn't written down. It was still impressive to the Gorons and Zoras however.

She also spent a good deal of time scouting the Bek Nation beyond Death Mountain, observing the people. If it weren't for her experience at Snowhead and other less-than-welcome terrains, she probably would have died from exposure. As it was, she alternately spent time watching the different tribes, fine-tuning her techniques, visiting friends and training in the temples. She also updated her clothing. Ever since Nabooru left, with her nagging, Lyn hadn't bothered to replace her clothing and now she wanted something that would help her blend into changing surroundings a bit more. She took to wearing a black face-mask similar to the elite Gerudo guards, as she didn't care for the Bek to recognize her if they noticed she was there. She was also given a very large, dark forest green scarf/cowl from Saria to replace her hat. It covered her give-away hair, the face-mask and flowed over her shoulders. She often used it as a blanket at night as she could completely wrap herself in it. Saria had embroidered the Kokiri Emerald onto the center of the piece in a dark brown thread, a color that was hard to pick out against the dark green, especially when dirty, for which Lyn was thankful.

She replaced her dark leather boots, making them fit closer to her feet so she would be able to use them for climbing the boulder-strewn steppes and mountains. She burned the tights while manically laughing and adopted darker grey pants that tucked into her boots instead. She wore a plain leotard of stolen (courtesy of Thanatos), light-almost-grey-purple Sheikah cloth that already had the Sheikah Eye along the sternum when she acquired it. It looked a lot like what Impa wore, but without the shorts, collar and sleeves. Thankfully, over the leotard was her one piece of armor. It was an elegantly shaped plate that covered her lower abdomen up to just below her chest and attached to a matching piece in the back, covering the Sheikah symbol. While she had worn the Eye of Truth in her past life, she did not feel comfortable doing so openly in this one, due to her lack of connections with the Shadow People beyond Thanatos.

But what was unique about the armor was that it was covered with armored scales that patterned the Zora's Sapphire at the top of the piece, a gift from Ruto. The armor did nothing for stealth with its rippling gleam, but she had seriously tried stabbing and slashing through the material with her Gilded Sword and it actually bounced off the material. She also figured that the armor signified that she was allied with them, given the obvious Sapphire, which was a plus in her book. Hylians did not wear the Zora's Sapphire. Period. Bandages covered her chest under the armor, binding her annoyances down and protecting her modesty, not that she had much remaining from her Priestess days, though the scarf partially covered them anyway. She held onto the green tunic, but didn't wear it unless she was in the forest as it blended in really nicely. Around her waist, she had a wrap-around scarf whose ends hung in front of and behind her, making it look almost like a skirt. It was so dark a red it appeared brown, even from a short distance away with the Goron's Ruby stitched onto it. Her arms were always covered. She used bandages as wraps to protect her knuckles if she ever got in a fist-fight. She then covered her hands even further with chocolate-colored leather gauntlets to protect her wrists for archery. It didn't hurt that the gauntlets were spelled to prevent anyone from accidentally seeing her Triforce symbol…

However, her pride and joy was her trench-coat, also made out of stolen Sheikah cloth, midnight-black this time. It took days to do the meticulous spell-work to give it the effect of the Stone Mask. This way, she could focus on other things while remaining invisible. The torso was form fitting, with the ties closely resembling a corset in how form-fitting it was. The sleeves flared out slightly to give room for her gauntlets. The coat was cut half way down her shin and had one adornment on it: the Medallions surrounding the Triforce, with the Spiritual Stones in their respective piece, all in the appropriately colored thread on it for nostalgia's sake, on the back. She also added the Hylian crest to the center triangle of the Sacred Trio, sans the Triforce on the crest. She figured she probably shouldn't wear the crest, but she couldn't quite bear to leave the symbol from her Hero of Time days quite yet. Not to mention, no one would see the symbol anyway, whether she wore the coat or not, so found that to be fitting as she planned on hiding that status for quite some time. The hood covered her head even with her scarf and cast shadows over her face, so it was entirely unseen with her mask on. She rarely wore it, except for her stealth missions. The magic was constantly in effect and she had no desire to be always be invisible, only most of the time.

Before she knew it, another two years passed and it was time to see the Gorons for the third time this year according to her visiting cycle. It wasn't that that she didn't love Malon and training with Epona, but the girl could be too talkative so she didn't stay as long, but she came by more frequently to compensate and relax. Tying her hair into a Gerudo-styled ponytail with the tie Nabooru left her, she brushed the strands framing her face behind her ears. Before buckling the crossing belts that held her scimitars on her torso, she tied her satchel on the small of her back over her waist-sash. Adding the last belt for her Gilded Sword, she finished with hanging her shield on the assembly. Saying her good-byes to Malon, Talon and Ingo, she made her way to the City on Epona. Little did she know the shit would hit the fan when she was visiting the Gorons. After which, she'd curse the Goddesses for leaving out that tidbit of info for their own amusement.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Translations will be given either right after the foreign words and/or will be translated at the end of the chapter. Most of the Gerudo language belongs to Iron Dune, but I do make my own additions where there aren't the right words. I'm sorry if the descriptions in the last chapter were a bit much, but I have a very specific image in mind for Link. Also, I'm sorry about any confusion with her companions, I will try to be clearer in the future with new ideas and might go back and edit that.

**Chapter Two**

When Lyn arrived in Goron City, everyone was gathered on the lowest level with Darunia and a Sheikah in the entrance to his rooms. Quietly leaping down to the second to lowest level, she crouched down to be less visible, Lisander landing on her shoulder just inside her scarf to hide his light. She listened in silently as the Sheikah told his story and then as the Gorons roared in outrage. Hyrule Castle was under attack. Her eyes narrowed and she glanced at the Sheikah. Sheik. Well, she shouldn't be that surprised. The Goddesses all but told her he would exist. Focusing, she felt her bonds with Thanatos, Resata and Vanis hum to life.

Thanatos immediately stepped out of the shadows on the edge of the wall and the other two appeared a moment later. "Vanis, could you go to Hyrule Castle? I want a complete report when I arrive. Enemy numbers, sorcerers, swordsmen, Hylian status, everything."

"O-of course!" She disappeared in a muted flash of light.

"I'll help defend if anything should happen here." Resata agreed before Lyn could even speak. She sent a pulse of affection through the bond and smiled, not that they could see that. Resata disappeared in a small flash of fire.

Thanatos crouched just behind her and completely out of sight, correctly assuming that she called on him for a more literal guardian position. Lisander was excellent with giving advice and warning, but he was not a warrior.

"Lyn!" She focused on Darunia. "Get down here!" She obliged, though Thanatos stayed out of sight. She noted the Sheikah watching her with suspicion, which was to be expected as she completely covered her facial features. And the light show that she had summoned.

"What can I do for you, Boss?" She asked as she stood. She decided to ignore Sheik until introduced, though she did let her eyes do a quick once-over. He was covered in so much blood she could smell it from ten paces away.

"You heard everything?"

"Yes," the 'of course' was implied.

"Good. We're going to Hyrule Castle and I need your skills with the ocarina."

"You've got them at your disposal." She pulled out her Fairy Ocarina. Switching to the Goron tongue, she called out "If everyone who is going could gather around…." When they were ready, all were gathered and she cast her magical field over them for teleportation. One Prelude of Light later and they were all crammed into the Temple of Time, where Vanis was waiting. She noticed immediately that the layout was different, despite the Goddesses' assurances that everything before she was born was unchanged. She resolved to look into it after this battle was over, hope filling her as her left hand contracted, as if it was holding a sword.

Darunia immediately started barking out orders and thus ordered chaos reigned: establishing the Temple as a base (they would hear something about this when the attack was over, she bet), putting up defenses, getting healers set up as the warriors prepared and double-checking their healing supplies. Sheik wanted to go with, but Darunia nixed the idea immediately. As useful as the new layout information would be, most of the Gorons had been in the castle at one point or another and could still find their way around. That and they didn't want one of the few Sheikah remaining to bleed out on them (and deal with Impa's wrath), so he stayed with the healers. While the Gorons were going about this, Vanis relayed the tactical information she managed to acquire. Lyn thanked her and let her leave, much to the Spirit's relief. She didn't care much for warfare.

Darunia motioned her over and they began forming a quick strategy before storming out. Lyn's mind raced furious. The civilians were fleeing from Hyrule Castle Town and the invading forces were focusing on the castle, so it was not taken yet. The castle on the other hand… According to Vanis, they come through the forest and plateaus north of Hyrule, which, really, wasn't that hard to do. Tactically speaking, Hyrule Castle was a pain in the ass to defend. They had the castle cut off from the town, so they'd have to storm the pass leading to the castle and the gates. Once there, it would be easy to rout any forces on the lawn, consolidate and send the wounded back to the Temple before entering the castle.

Clapping his hands together, he called his warriors to circle him in Goron, "Brothers!" They all gathered around, arms clasping each other to create a spiral, with Darunia at the center. Lyn was pushed by the others to be next to him. "May the Goddesses' and the Spirits of Fire look after us on the field of battle today. While I do not presume to know what fate they deem right for us, we fight to protect our homes, our families and our friends regardless." She felt him squeeze her shoulder and she returned it. "On that note, should anything happen to me today, Sister Lyn is to be Big Boss until this mess is completely over, then a new Boss can be selected in the more traditional way if that is what the Family wants. But we all know that she will do her best to look after the Family should the worst happen." Lyn stared at him: eyes wide, jaw slack (not that they could see that, thankfully) as the Gorons grunted their approval. She snapped her out of her temporary stupor.

She squeezed the shoulders of Darunia and the Goron on her left. Thankfully, the mask wouldn't let them see the tears fall, either.

Ganondorf was having a really bad day. At breakfast, it had been all he could do not to punch Zelda's pretty little face in. She got under his skin with her 'innocent' questions regarding his people and his motives. Not to mention the very subtle but sharp magical probes she sent his way. It was nothing to his magic to deflect them, but... He had gritted his teeth and ignored the bitch. It wasn't like he could call her out on it. Not without skirmishes breaking out. Not soon after the breakfast from Hell, the Bek invaded. Slicing the invaders to ribbons had released some of his stress, though how the defenses were handled aggravated him as well. It was clear that Hyrule had not been attacked in quite some time, aside from that one raid those years ago. The King did the best he could in the circumstances, Ganondorf granted, and had sent out messengers to the surrounding villages and cities for aid. They had to break through the attackers, so it was doubtful they made it, so the Gerudo didn't put any stock in allies arriving in time to help. Thus given the current situation, they would all be cut down before anyone from Kakariko, forget the Gorons, would arrive. Overall, it was just a start of a Very Bad Day.

And it only got worse. He had felt the sorcerer enter the castle when he passed the wards Ganondorf had placed. What disturbed him was that the sorcerer had two sources of magic and one of them was definitely Gerudian. To add to that, the magic of that single power source was greater than his or his mothers' combined though the Bekian source was pitiful compared to his. Either way, this would not be easy. The Hylian Royal Family had only the most basic magical training. The King was adequate, he supposed, but Zelda was next to useless, despite her potent magic. She had obviously received some training, but not in war magic and was nowhere near enough to help defend. But that's what peacetime did to these Hylians. It made them lax and spoil their young; which was never a problem with the Gerudo. The desert saw to that. The Sheikah, Impa would be useful, he reflected, but she had to guard Zelda. The younger Shadow, Sheik, would also be useful considering he didn't have a charge, but he had been sent to raise the Gorons. The King ushered them into the Throne Room as he finished his musings and Ganondorf felt the defensive magics snap into place just as the Bek sorcerer neared. They wouldn't do any good, however. They were already being torn down. He shrugged off his cloak and began consolidating his power into a spell. He heard Nabooru and her elite quad draw their scimitars. The few Hylian guards hesitantly stood their ground, spears pointing towards the entrance. The Bek stepped into view, smirked, and everything went to hell.

He nearly shouted when the lightning hit him, but only a grunt escaped as he collapsed, writhing. After a few moments, the uncontrollable spasms stopped and he could see the pandemonium. Zelda was charging up another lightning strike and his people were about to slit her pretty little throat when Impa intervened: which resulted in all of them—except Zelda, of course—experiencing the fine, excruciating pain of being electrocuted. He winced, but he was already recovering, well on his way to being able to defend. The Bekian waltzed up besides Zelda and cast a single spell. But that was all he needed. Ganondorf closed his eyes. Of course. There really was no name for it, but it was less than fondly called the Puppet Curse. It bent the subject to the caster's will, provided they weren't as strong mentally. When he managed to cast it on Zelda, Ganondorf didn't know. But in hindsight, it had been a few days at least from the way Zelda had acted. And now, with the Hylian guards under his control, the King was finished. He had them run their spears through their liege's body, pinning him to the wall behind the throne and leaving him to die a painful and somewhat slow death. Ganondorf pulled his magic to the surface once more. He didn't stand a chance. If it had only been the Bekian without the Gerudian power and Zelda, he would've managed. If he survived, he would figure out who was pulling the Bekian's strings. It was unlikely he would, but if anyone here stood a chance, it was him.

He soon found he didn't stand a chance, as much as he was loath to admit it. He had managed to land a dark energy blast on the Bek sorcerer, but for naught. Under the sorcerer's control, Zelda's arsenal had widened considerably. She had managed to stun him long enough for the Bekian to temporarily seal his magic away and throw him against the wall. Chains snaked around his limbs, keeping him from drawing any weapons. That really was the final straw for the Very Bad Day. His magic was sealed; he was chained to a wall, nearly-spread eagle with all of his elite warriors unconscious or dead around him. He wasn't sure which, which gnawed at him. They were his people; and believe it or not, he was a good king who cared about those beneath him. Though by rights, with that last spell the sorcerer used, he should be unconscious from magical separation shock. So he pretended to be.

He subtly paid attention, though. After taking care of him, the Bekian had killed the Hylian guards. It was a mercy, Ganondorf supposed, after all, those under the curse remembered their actions. He suppressed a chuckle. How would Zelda fare? He wondered.

More Bekian soldiers entered the Throne Room, addressing the sorcerer, Tibairn apparently, as their leader. They spoke in their nearly incomprehensible language with the soldiers bowing before leaving. The sorcerer then conjured a ridiculously large mirror to watch what was going on in the castle before sitting down and watching. With an eye on the mirror himself, Ganondorf forced minute amounts of his magic past the seal. It was slow going and he wouldn't be able to gather much before he was noticed, but it would be enough to escape the chains and stab the sorcerer dead. Hopefully. Zelda might be a problem though, he conceded. Even with the caster dead, those under the Puppet Curse followed out the orders received prior to death. He would hate to isolate his people from one their very few allies if he had to kill Zelda to protect himself.

Ganondorf had to admit, things looked grim: for him and those he saw in the mirror. The Hylian soldiers were fleeing, and those who weren't were slaughtered. Then, he noticed the brown balls moving a velocity that really shouldn't be possible without the aid of magic.

The Gorons had arrived, just in time. Not that they knew that. They rolled in like the thunder starting to shake the sky. They poured around the fleeing Hylians and tore through the Bek and the monsters with a ferocity that the gentle race rarely showed. Lyn was a whirlwind among them, her sword dicing all opponents into mincemeat. The Gorons made quick work of the few Bek troops out on the lawn before moving on the castle. Fortunately for them, the Bek were lax and still busy gaining control of the castle, so there were no archers to cover for their ground soldiers. Or perhaps that they didn't have any; not that they would have been accurate with the tree-bending winds. The first issue the Gorons came across was the door, surprisingly. The drawbridge was down over the moat, but the doors were closed. Lyn for the life of her didn't understand why, but she did her best not to question.

A long stream of curses came from Darunia as they examined the door.

"Can you open it?" He finally asked after the curses stopped.

Lyn laughed and pulled down her scarf so it wouldn't blow away. "No problem." Summoning her magic, which the castle would recognize as Royal, she pushed it into the door. It creaked open.

Darunia sighed in relief. Lyn pulled up her scarf and froze. She swore, and Darunia raised a questioning eyebrow. "We are being watched." She elaborated, "There is one _very_ powerful sorcerer in there. I will take care of him. Can you handle the soldiers and try to find the Royal Family?"

Darunia nodded and his expression softened. "Take care, Rjíin."

Lyn hugged the Goron, "you too."

Then she disappeared. The sorcerer this time let out the curses, directed to his useless mirror where the Hylian was concerned. Ganondorf smiled. It boded well for him. The sorcerer turned his attention to the Gorons to see their plan before turning his attention to his prisoners. Ganondorf shivered. Maybe not.

Lyn was annoyed. No, she was beyond annoyed. She was livid as she stabbed another Bek warrior in the throat. Thanatos trailed behind her, taking care of anyone she missed, though those numbers were few. Many bodies already had littered the hall: Hylian and Bek. While she did her best not to treat life callously as all was sacred, she was getting to her limit. Their sheer numbers were _beyond vexing_ and that did not bode well for Darunia and his gang. Picking up her pace, she continued her silent assassinations on her way to the Throne Room. Thanatos picked up his pace to keep up.

Things were not boding well for Ganondorf. It was beyond irksome, but he knew he was helpless. He sighed, still (now) futilely pushing his magic through the seal. The spell that the sorcerer was summoning was not going to end well for the Gerudo. Unless he was mistaken, which was unlikely, it would burn him alive. The spell was useful for torture, as it is painful and the damage irreversible. He clenched his hands and prepared for the worst. It was to his great surprise the doors burst open and Tibairn's attention was diverted, the unfinished spell dissipating. Ganondorf redoubled his efforts.

Her anger didn't let her think things through or sense what was around her, so she stupidly burst through the doors and was stunned at what she saw. _Ganondorf_ was chained spread-eagle to the wall on the east side of the room, his smoldering amber eyes meeting hers, desperate and furious at his helplessness. She could sense his magic struggling against his predicament, so he was not hopeless at least. Nabooru, her _esha_, and other Gerudo that were elite guards (judging by their clothing's color) sprawled on the floor around him, unconscious or dead and also tied down. Impa was in front of the throne, in a state similar to that of the living Gerudo. All of the Hylian guards were dead, scattered around the room. Hanging above the throne courtesy of the spears running him through, was the King of Hyrule, her father. On the throne was the sorcerer, who smirked and lifted his hand to control a spell. Zelda turned around, lightning dancing in her hands. An evil smirk that looked very out of place graced her lips before she let the lightning loose. Lyn snarled, and spun, trapping the lightning in her magical field, containing it within her hands. While circling, she added her own force behind the spell and unleashed it back onto Zelda. The princess never stood a chance. She screamed as the lightning struck, then fell to the floor, unconscious from the overload.

While she was dealing with Zelda, the sorcerer simultaneously took out Thanatos and attempted to do the same with Lyn. The Spirit evaded as well as he could, but he had been focused on Lyn. The chains of energy caught him and pinned him down. He was obviously displeased at being restrained, his fury singing along their bond and concern from the other spirits was made known. She sent reassurance back. She would call if she needed help. Lyn grimaced as she managed to dodge the same attack. Lyn leaped over Zelda and sprinted towards the Bekian. She had handled this all wrong, she knew. She could sense Ganon's power in the sorcerer. How this was possible, she could guess and she did not like it. As it was, the sorcerer's power greatly eclipsed hers; but so had Ganon's when she had fought him the first time. She had beaten him with her blade, granted the Master Sword was in a league of its own. Dropping her shield and Gilded Sword, she pulled down her mask, discarded her sash and scarf. She grabbed her scimitars and leaped.

Ganondorf took in the hair-tie, scimitars and mask; definitely Gerudian-influenced if not actually from his people. He eyed the gem and now knew why Nabooru came back missing hers. The swords were Gerudo make, judging from grips. The blond hair and blue eyes took him aback, however. Only the Hylian Royal Family and the Kokiri, to his knowledge, had both traits together; something to ponder when he wasn't tied up on a silver platter. All of his previous thoughts were brushed aside when she pulled down the mask obviously wanting all the air she could get in this fight. His attention was immediately drawn to the tattoos underneath the corners of her eyes. His own widened. _Éši-paprüt_. Goddess-touched. Red meant warrior-priestess….Warrior-sorceress. Though her Sheikah companion was also something to think about when he had free time… Not that he had any. He was still forcing his magic through the seal, and it was finally cracking.

Lyn slashed down, neatly cutting off the sleeve of the Bekian's shirt when he brought up his arm to block. Then the sorcerer's aura blasted her back, cutting her. She narrowed her eyes and ignored the blood. Ganon's power was overwhelming the Bek sorcerer, so it seemed like his power was the only source for the magic. Even as she cursed under her breath, she could see the illusion forming around him. She hissed. Ganon. If the Gerudo King was smart, Ganondorf would keep silent. She prayed he was too busy trying to break free to pay attention to any conversation. She doubted it. But for once, her prayers were answered.

"Well, well… It's been a while Hero."Ganon majestically descended the stairs, conjuring a blade when he stopped.

"Not long enough." She stood up from the crouch she had been forced into, eyes locked onto him as she summoned her affinity with the Shadows.

Ganon laughed. "That is to be expected. Though I must admit I am surprised to see you here…" She tensed as he looked her over. "And that you haven't aged a day."

She snorted. "I wouldn't say that's the case." Then she fell. The Shadows welcomed her, guiding her to her quarry. Ganon was very surprised to say the least when she leapt up behind him and stabbed into the Bek sorcerer's body, right through the ribcage and right lung. She figured that so long as the puppet was alive, Ganon could project his magic. Once the Bekian was dead he wouldn't be able to, for the moment her real enemy was the living body. Reanimation was not a simple spell, and across what was likely a good distance, impossible. She would know. And the Bek had been a decent sorcerer, but that was all he had going for him. The body clearly had no warrior's training and Ganon couldn't fight with it, illusion or no, so he was a sitting duck. She ran him through again, this time through the left lung with her second blade.

Ganon gasped, the illusion wavering, though she was yet again blown back by the black energy. She bit back a scream as lightning danced down her body. She groaned. That seemed to be the attack of the day. She couldn't take more than one or two more of those. She could feel her muscles fatiguing, her breathing was more ragged as they sapped her energy and overwhelmed her nervous system. She forced herself to her feet. She had to end this before Ganon could force the body to continue functioning with his power, if he even could.

"As entertaining as this has been… we both know this body isn't going to hold up, so I better finish my objective." Apparently not. Ganon somehow managed to cough with all the blood in his lungs as plasma gathered in his hand. Easily enough to kill anyone without magical protection—Ganondorf! She was running before the blast was released. Then all she could feel was the bone-deep, searing lightning-hot _pain_. And it wasn't muscle fatigue.

The Gerudian was not surprised when the plasma was gathered. He somehow knew it was for him, to finish him off. He snorted at the irony. Just when he was almost able to defend himself... What did surprise him was that the Hylian jumped in between him and the sorcerer just as the blast was released. He heard the Sheikah shout something, Lin or Link maybe? Though he couldn't hear what exactly through the noise generated by the electricity. Then the blast hit. He grunted as the backlash of the magic hit him, sending waves of agony through his body and causing him to lose focus; scattering his magic. She clearly hadn't gotten a shield up, though chances were it wouldn't have held against that blast. He somehow had the presence of mind to be impressed that she didn't utter a sound.

The magic dissipated and she fell against him, almost unconscious, though she was struggling to stay lucid. With a vicious snarl, he reclaimed control of her power and gave one final push. The chains and seal holding him snapped and he slid down the wall, letting her land on him as she lost the battle. He automatically threw up a shield to intersect the next blast as he pulled her to him and repositioned so he and the shield were between her and the Bekian. His eyes focused on the sorcerer; more specifically, the sorcerer's illusion. The puppeteer was somehow a Gerudian male. Older, he noted. He was balding, though he kept his remaining hair long and had a very malicious look to his eyes that faded as the illusion wavered and the sorcerer died. He let the shield drop. The Sheikah was beside him at an instant, helping him move the girl so she was laid out on the floor. He immediately started checking her vitals and looking for injuries. He sighed in relief, apparently she was stable.

"What's her name?" Ganondorf asked softly as the Sheikah started casting healing spells. Her fairy that had wisely disappeared during the fight reappeared and hovered over her, illuminating her wounds for the Shadow warrior.

The Sheikah's blood red eyes regarded him a moment before curtly answering, "Lyn. I am Thanatos, her guardian." Ganondorf caught the less than subtle hint: mess with her, mess with him. His eyes glinted. Interesting….

Lyn groaned and her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze had a physical weight as her icy sky blue eyes met his fiery gold. "Ganondorf-_ti_." She acknowledged. He noted that she tensed immediately upon sensing him.

"Lyn-_skir_." He inclined his head. She sent a glare at the Sheikah. Both males ignored it. "My thanks."

She just nodded then sat up with the Sheikah's help. Satisfied that she was taken care of, he turned to look after his people. After all, it wouldn't do for her to die with his _diλi vaya_ left unpaid. He figured Nabooru had taught her enough of their ways she knew what a life debt was. It would be interesting to see how she reacted, as she seemed to dislike him. He closed his eyes upon finding Faλųme and Šínéš dead and sighed. At least Nabooru and the other two were alive. He set about checking them for more injuries, as the bindings had vanished when the Bekian died.

Thanatos was oozing displeasure at Ganondorf being so close. She didn't need to be a mind-reader to know that. So she kept Ganondorf in the corner of her eye as she stumbled towards Zelda and Impa. He tended to his people, gently cleaning wounds and covering the two dead. While logically she knew he was different from her world's Ganon, especially after sensing the two energies… Seeing it was something else. Finishing with the Sheikah, she focused on the princess. It took her a few minutes, but she checked her over and broke the Curse on her, removing her memories of Thanatos in the process. Finishing, she got up to locate the Gorons, though they beat her to it. They opened the doors fully just as she took a step towards them. She let out a sigh of relief when she counted and found them all there and relatively unharmed. Darunia immediately strode over and embraced her. She returned it fully, closing her eyes as the tears began to form for all the lives lost. She kept her eyes down; refusing to look at the body of the father she had never known even as Darunia cried out.

The Gorons immediately took over, despite the grief on Darunia's part. And it occurred to Lyn around this time that should've used the Fierce Deity's Mask in the fight with Ganon and saved herself a lot of pain. She beat her head against the wall for that one. Castle security was increased, with the Gorons patrolling as well. The bodies of the Bek and the monsters had been deposited into the fiery pit of Death Mountain courtesy of Lyn. The bodies of the Hylian soldiers were given proper burials, while the ceremony and body of the King were prepared for his. Once Zelda was conscious, she went into mourning and received help from Impa regarding how to deal with the events. Rumors filled the court that she would be unable to perform the duties required of her now as somehow courtiers survived. Lyn dreaded to think of what would happen if that were true.

The Zoras and Gerudo were informed of events. Lyn sent Ruto another missive in addition, explaining that there would likely be a Counsel of War and that a Zoran ambassador would be needed. She was confident said ambassador would be the princess. She was just thankful she didn't have to be around the Gerudo King. While she couldn't say he was like she remembered, he was a bastard. Unpredictable. Unknown. However, she was worried there would another attack and often manned the battlements with the Family and was able to take her mind off of it. But nothing happened, though she knew they were being watched.

It was on one of her shifts, two days after the battle ended, just as the sun was setting that something did happen. Ganondorf came up to the battlements. He made straight for Lyn, much to her disappointment. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as he confidently strode towards her. While he still resembled the Ganon of her world and thus made her feel uneasy around him, he still looked very different. He wasn't wearing the distinctive armor for one. For two, he just looked different. His features were still sharp, with the larger-than-average nose that was common with the Gerudo and –surprisingly—slightly pointed ears. But he didn't have the receding hairline or the overly-pronounced forehead that she had come to associate with her nemesis, though he still had a fore-head jewel. And his face was a lot… softer, younger, despite the defined facial features. More human-looking as well; it helped he didn't have the evil fire eyes. However, his eyes were golden amber, with red flecks, as if fire was dancing in his irises, full of life and passion. He was… attractive, as loath as she was to admit that. But it wasn't really that surprising, she guessed. She didn't have much interaction with males in her previous life outside of the battlefield; it was only natural that she noticed now. Though she'd rather slit her own throat than admit it.

"Lyn-_ Éšíλ_? May I have a word?" She froze. This was unexpected to say the least.

"_Éšíλ?" _Priestess. She let the title roll off her tongue as a question. It had been seven years since she'd been called that…

"Your marks indicate you are a chosen of the _M_e é_ší_, no?" His tone was light, but serious. But that wasn't surprising. Death was taken seriously by the Gerudo, despite the way they observed it. So he would be polite and go about this the right way, especially for one of his elite guards.

She sighed, might as well get straight to the point, she was the only priestess here. If she did more than Nabooru taught her, they would think or she could say the Goddess had taught her what to do. "You want me to perform the wake?"

Ganondorf was a little taken-aback but he nodded. "The High Priestesses did not tell us take a priestess with us…"

Meaning, they were told no one would die or they would be provided for. Lyn closed her eyes and sighed. Which meant she would. "Preparations?" Those were traditionally done by those who are close to the dead, and Ganondorf as _Tif_ automatically filled that role as a leader was supposed to be close to her/his people if the girls weren't close (which was unlikely). Traditionally, he was supposed to fill in for the deceased if they fell while in battle with unfamiliar sisters.

"Nabooru, Poro and Kasa are completing them now."

Lyn nodded, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The wake will be held at midnight, per tradition. Do you have a location?"

"Princess Zelda said we could use the front lawn for our purposes."

"I will meet you there in an hour to finish preparations." Ganondorf nodded his agreement and with a swish of his cloak, left the battlements.

Lyn rubbed her eyes and went to Darunia to explain why she couldn't take watch tonight. She also let Lisander and Thanatos have the night off, but she doubted either would be far.

She hurried to the guest quarters to get cleaned up. She was supposed to completely cleanse herself, but that wasn't going to happen in her time constraint. Ditching her weapons and armor into her satchel, she hurriedly washed her hair, and pulled it into the traditional High Priestess bun with the jewel-tie. After a quick sponge bath, she pulled out some Gerudian garb Nabooru had helped her make before she left. It was a light red outfit styled after Nabooru's, except the pants were not the overly-poofy. Barefoot would serve just fine she figured as she slid on a plain black leather belt with a simple ceremonial knife on it. She wrapped her Goron's Ruby cloth around her waist over it on a whim. At least she didn't have to worry about a forehead-jewel as none of the Gerudo would be wearing theirs tonight. Taking a quick glance in the mirror to double-check her appearance, she uttered the traditional cleansing prayers and cleared her mind. She looked in the mirror one more time before leaving; her marks were glowing.

When she arrived, the funeral pyre was set, the two Gerudo were already cleaned up and lain out, looking much like they did in life, with the traditional herbs and spices covering them, as well as Hylian flowers. Besides the clothes they were wearing, their other material possessions would go to their mothers. The cooking fire was already going, which the two Gerudo she didn't recognize were standing over. A low-set table had been acquired and was covered with Gerudian food. She hoped against hope they had scorpion stew. She inhaled deeply and smiled. They had scorpion stew, somehow. Nabooru was the first to see her and greeted her warmly with a kiss on either cheek, "High Priestess, welcome and thank you."

Lyn smiled and returned the greeting. "It is my pleasure to celebrate the lives of our sisters."

Ganondorf watched Nabooru greet Lyn in Gerudo and was only slightly surprised when the Hylian spoke fluently and her marks were glowing. But what surprised him more was how _good_ she looked in Gerudian clothes. It looked right. He turned his gaze away before his thoughts went further. Clearing his thoughts and steeled himself to expect traditional behavior from an outsider, and reminding himself to behave in the correct manner, he greeted her in Gerudo as well, "High Priestess Lyn." He knelt on one knee, as was expected of the King when greeting a High Priestess; thankfully, no one else.

"King Ganondorf." She hid her unease well as she kissed his forehead and grasped his hands in hers to tell him to rise. He forced himself to ignore the sensation that remained after she pulled away and he stood up. Poro and Kasa greeted her as Nabooru did, all masks gone. She could tell they were all uncomfortable with the situation as she was not a recognized Priestess, but… She shook her head to clear the thoughts. Nothing to do but start the wake.

The ceremony was short, as all Gerudo ceremonies were. Lyn gave a heartfelt recitation of the rites, praying to the Sand Goddess to accept these two sisters back into her open arms and for them to meet their comrades again in the Eternal Oasis. She cast the spells and the pyres were lit, the sweet-smelling herbs filling the air instead of the smell of burning bodies, which the flames consumed completely so they were not seen. It was a small wake, but the party started as soon Lyn finished the last incantations, her marks still glowing. They all sat at the table, sipping fine wine donated by Zelda as an apology gift, eating slow-roasted hare, scorpion stew and other delicacies, some Hylian.

Slowly, with the help of the wine, the group got more at ease with each other as the feast ended and the dancing began. As the "ceremony" part was done, Lyn let down her hair, pulled the hair out of her eyes and tied it back, letting the rest hang free. Just as she finished, Nabooru grabbed her for a dance. In Gerudian wakes, one of the last spells cast by the priestess performing it called the spirits of the dead to join the celebration. These spirits mostly provided the music, their emotions setting the tone, with occasionally a living being performing a solo or adding another instrument, after having their request granted by the spirits. The feast was also offerings to them, to bless the celebration. Apparently Lyn had done a good job as music started up immediately as she was pulled up.

She felt a little light-headed from the wine, but it was ok; nothing that would be detrimental to her coordination as she joined Nabooru. They laughed and talked while moving, catching up and sharing stories. Kasa and Poro joined them, all dancing free-style as they danced and or talked. It was after a few such dances that Ganondorf stood. Lyn tensed slightly as he walked toward her, but he bowed slightly and spread his hands apart, face-up. "Peace," amber eyes were open and pure in intent, if clouded by alcohol. She felt the tension fade.

She returned the gestures, "Peace." She noted the girls backed off.

Ganondorf felt the smile steal across his face, but he let it as he saw her relax. He blamed the wine, but his smile widened as she smiled back. Wakes were often used as a time to call truce between warring factions or even just to settle disputes as it was a reminder that life was short. After seeing her fight the sorcerer and perform the ceremony as a High Priestess, he wanted his people and himself to be at least neutral with her, if not on her good side.. He offered his hand for a dance, offered his hand for a life-long truce. She almost hesitated but took his hand and they walked to the designated dance floor. They clasped hands and began to move; taking the steps that stated the truce and sealed it. They danced around each other, moving in synchronization, sensually even as their magic flickered to life. He handed her a ceremonial silver knife in mid-step. She accepted, both continuing the steps in an ever quickening dance.

If they didn't follow through, this would be a temporary truce only. Both, for their own reasons, wanted a life-long cease-fire. She slid the knife across her left wrist, letting the blood flow freely and slid it back into his hand mid-twirl. He gracefully accepted the blade and slit his left wrist as well. They circled, pressing their wounds together in bloodbond. She pulled off her scarf with one hand and wrapped it around their arms, pressing them closer together as the music reached fever-pitch, the other Gerudo watching from the table, as the magic danced around them as flames and sealed the truce. The music stopped. Lyn unwrapped the scarf and offered it to clean the blade, thankful she grabbed it. Ganondorf gently took the cloth and carefully wiped the blood off. He sheathed the knife and offered it, partially wrapped in the scarf to her. The knife was simple, but finely forged out of pure silver. It was a traditional, but expensive and personal gift, to take the truce a step further and make the offer of alliance. She accepted it and replaced the knife on her belt with it. She took the cloth and completely wrapped her knife in it and offered it to Ganondorf. He accepted, placing the knife on his belt and unfurling the scarf. It was the traditional response gift, as well as a personal one, even more so that it held the proof of their alliance in their mixed blood on it, which could be used against the giver. He accepted it and the magic in the air dried the blood and it flared up one last time and the alliance was complete.

Lyn gently took Ganondorf's hand and healed his wrist before healing hers. They cleaned the blood off their arms, which also dried quickly before Ganondorf folded the cloth and tied it around his waist as a sash. The blood would be allowed to dry into the cloth, to stain it as a visible sign of the pact before it would be washed.

The alliance was sudden; Ganondorf initially meant only a truce. It was unexpected. It was very spur of the moment. Both were drunk, which is what allowed it to occur, with some prodding from merged magics. Both understood and accepted the magic that sealed the alliance and both felt relieved that it did: Lyn because this was a life-long alliance and she didn't want two Ganons to worry about; Ganondorf because he cared for his people and personal well-being and Lyn was a very powerful ally (and terrifying foe).

And both would be back to normal the next day, with pounding headaches.

Due to the constant supervision courtesy of the Bek (thought they had yet to actually catch a spy), it was surprising that, even during the King's funeral the following evening, after the hangovers passed, nothing happened. It was a splendid affair, lots of pomp and ceremony. Ambassadors from all of the races were there, Ruto as Lyn guessed, came to represent the Zoras. All the courtiers were dressed in black for mourning. Zelda was crying throughout the whole ceremony, Impa standing seemingly-impassive beside her. Lyn couldn't bring herself to shed any tears. She had never known the man as her father or her king. But, ironically, his funeral was the first time she had ever seen her father up close. During her previous life, Ganon had destroyed all evidence of her family from Hyrule. There were no portraits, nothing. She didn't even know their names, though she supposed she could ask Zelda or Impa. When Zelda sent her back to relive her childhood, the damage had been done. They were already gone. So when she came up to pay her respects, she took a moment to actually look at him. She had his eyes and took after him more structure-wise, she noted. Zelda had been told time and time again she was her mother's mirror image in her past life, so it made sense. She sighed. It figured that she was to never meet her parents in either timeline. But it made her glad that she had taken care to shadow her face, as masks were not respectful to the dead, at least in Hyrule. If her face had been visible, someone might put two and two together. But…. She had the sinking suspicion Ganondorf already had. Perhaps Zelda, as well, though she had been able to alter the Princess's memories.

It was after the funeral that Zelda, Impa, the Hylian nobility and the ambassadors of the other races gathered to discuss the war. It was the first time they had the chance, being busy with clean up and everything else. Lyn was there as Darunia's second-in-command, though if she wasn't, Ganondorf would've most likely requested her presence after what transpired the night before. She shivered. Even if he went back to being a bastard, she thought as she took a seat at the circular table.

"When will the coronation be, your Highness?" One of the courtiers asked Zelda almost as soon as she sat down. The princess froze.

Ganondorf snorted, breaking the silence. "Do you want her murdered?"

The courtier turned on the Gerudo. "What are you implying-"

Darunia cut him off, so the pompous Hylian didn't get on a tirade. "The thief has a point." Ganondorf ignored the barb. "They left the funeral alone so chances are they are planning something for the coronation. After all, what better way to destroy the moral of the people than by murdering the last member of the Royal family during what is supposed to be a great celebration?" He leaned back comfortably in his chair. "That leaves Hyrule morally devastated and without a leader."

Lyn stayed quiet, her spirits listening in: Thanatos, invisible, behind her. Lisander circled above her, still as a fairy and the others were elsewhere at the moment, but were prepared to appear help if anyone were to try anything. She had to agree with Darunia and Ganondorf. There would be no way to guarantee Zelda's safety with so many citizens attending such a large event, as things stood.

Zelda remained silent on the high chair, Impa and Sheik, now healed, impassively standing on either side of her. Her face was drawn, obviously pensive. She finally spoke as the nobles started to squabble. "We will hold a formal coronation after this conflict is resolved unless it can somehow be turned into a strategic move. Until then, our focus will be on this dispute and its conclusion." The nobles quieted. "On that note, we call a Counsel of War." The nobles roared their displeasure.

Lyn gave the obnoxious nobles a hard glare. This was exactly why she didn't want to deal with Hylian politics; it would be her up there. Finally she had enough. "Quiet!" Magic amplified her voice so it echoed throughout the room. She noted that the nobles cowered and scowled. "We don't have time for your bickering. The Princess called a Counsel. If I'm not mistaken, only Royalty, the ambassadors, their chosen guards and advisors are allowed. Unless you are called to fill such a position, leave." They scurried out like rats.

Ruto giggled and winked at her.

She nearly jumped when Ganondorf started clapping, his gloved hands making the almost ominous. "Bravo." She gave him a slight nod, still uncomfortable, even if they were now sworn allies and he would have grave consequences if he attacked her of his own volition.

Zelda spoke up again. "We will meet in the War Room tomorrow at noon. This will give us time to set up the privacy and secrecy wards and for everyone to pick out our more trusted advisors."

It was agreed this was fair and the group dispersed. Lyn moved quickly to avoid Ganondorf, and followed Zelda in the Shadows. Upon reaching her room, the princess burst into tears. "I can't do this Impa! I can't!" Lyn could tell the Sheikah agreed. Zelda wasn't ready. The princess sunk onto her bed, head in her hands. "But there is no one else…." Lyn pulled back, guilt rearing its ugly head. She could speak up, but then she would never be able to have that life of peace and quiet… But… her sister's tear-stricken face remained burned into her memory. Zelda wasn't ready, and that could cost Hyrule. Mustering her resolve before she could change her mind, she materialized and knocked on Zelda's door. She was the Hero of Time. She sighed. As the door opened, she spoke.

"We need to talk."

**Glossary **

Rjíin: Sworn Sister. Honorable Sister.

_Éši-paprüt:_ Goddess-touched.

_Esha_: sister

Ganondorf-_ti_: King Ganondorf (_Tif_ is "King" and is shortened as a title.)

Lyn-_skir_: Hero Lyn. (_Samkir_ is a title for female heroes and is also shortened as a title to just mean "hero").

_diλi vaya_: life debt, a very sacred honor debt. Will be explained in more detail later.

Faλųme: Moon

Šínéš: Rain

_Éšíλ: _title. Capitalized because it's the title for a high priestess, and she holds more sway than even the king.

_Éši-príλ: Priestess; more literally goddess-woman. _

_M_e é_ší_: (Desert) Sand Goddess

_Tif_: King

Poro: Cloud

Kasa: Red


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I apologize for typos and the like. I do not have a beta reader and after a while, you read what you want to read. If someone would like the position, feel free to message me. Otherwise, I will wait a while and edit later. Thank you for understanding that I do what I can within a reasonable time frame.

**Chapter Three**

Impa regarded Lyn warily. "What do you need to speak to the Princess about that is so urgent it cannot wait until tomorrow?" Thanatos was at the ready in the Shadows, poised to attack the Sheikah if she were to attempt to harm Lyn.

Lyn pulled down her mask and a bitter smile tugged at her lips at the Sheikah's gasp. "My sister and I need to discuss how she's going to get Hyrule through this war in one piece."It was a rather awkward silence after that, though Impa let her in and Thanatos materialized behind her.

"You… uh… Have proof?" Impa managed to ask, staring at the Shadow Spirit. She was immediately on the defense but obviously pensive. The Shadowkin didn't attach themselves to mortals lightly.

Lyn contemplated pulling the cracked Ocarina of Time out of her satchel but decided against it. She refused to give up all of her secrets. Instead, she focused on her magic and pushed. The castle defenses in the room sprang to life. Impa and Zelda looked at each other, then at Lyn.

"How is this possible?" Zelda asked, still shocked.

"Link…?" Impa asked, apparently in shock as well.

"That's me." She leaned against the wall next to Thanatos. "And, frankly, we have much to discuss." She closed the door with quick motion of her hand, made herself comfortable on one of the squishy chairs and propped her legs up on the desk. "Firstly, I formally renounce my right as firstborn, and the right of any descendants, to the Throne to Zelda and her children unless her line dies out or is otherwise incapacitated." She let out a mental sigh as her magic sealed the deal. Zelda gaped. Lyn raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Zelda, I do not have the political background you have to rule, the people are familiar with you as Princess and I truly have no desire to sit on the throne and listen to courtiers' squabble." While she technically lied about the political background, she wouldn't have if it was just this life. And the last bit was entirely true.

Zelda nodded and Impa started to pace, her hand still on her knife. Lyn expected nothing less.

"But I wouldn't be here if I didn't have an issue with you ruling. Frankly, you are a mess and that is completely understandable. You also do not have the magical and tactical training for a war. Yes, I know you are wise for your sixteen years, but that does not always substitute knowledge." Lyn locked eyes with her sister. "And I can help you there."

Ganondorf was more than a little irked as Lyn had disappeared on him. Aggravated would be more accurate, especially since she didn't show up for the evening meal. He growled and ran a hand through his hair. Patience was not one of his virtues and he had to discuss the life debt her owed Lyn. As allies, she now couldn't do anything too onerous to him, but he hated owing anyone anything. He was too prideful. And his honor demanded he repay her as soon as he could. Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, he went off to find Nabooru for a "friendly" spar.

An hour later, he was in the shower, letting the water wash away the blood, though a good portion of it was his he was not seriously injured. He stood under the cold spray, enjoying the rare luxury. Sighing, he turned off the water to dry off and bandage his wounds. He didn't bother to dress beyond pants and arming himself. Walking silently through the castle with no boots to announce his footfalls, he slipped past the guards and onto the battlements. He let a smirk materialize on his lips when he spotted Lyn and made his way over to her, ignoring the unusual sensations in his gut. She attempted to disappear again but Ganondorf caught up to her before she could, lightly but firmly grasping her arm as if he was escorting her. Which, he was, he thought wryly as he felt their magics interact, creating a pleasant tingling where they were touching. That's what he told himself, though he knew it was a lie. He felt the fire dance along his skin, redirecting his blood flow. He smiled a little sardonically at his reaction, this was really shouldn't have been unexpected.

"We still need to discuss the terms of my debt." His voice was soft and almost caressed her as he whispered into her ear, but the unspoken now was still strong. She shivered and was thankful for her mask. She didn't need to hide as much with it and she was sure there was a blush coloring her cheeks. This unexpected reaction, along with the tingling and fire along her skin only made her tense as he dashed her plans, for the moment.

They slipped back past the guards and she let herself be led into the courtyard. Upon finding a quiet corner, he dismissed the guards and set up some quick anti-eavesdropping wards. Lyn went to the fountain and sat on the edge, focusing on the water, bending it to her will unconsciously due to her unease. He only noted she let a hand rest in the water. She looked up at the Gerudo and raised an eyebrow, anxious to get this over with.

Taking the hint, the King of Thieves spoke. "This situation is unprecedented." He started, getting straight to the point. "Never before has a Gerudo King owed a _diλi vaya. _However, my honor demands that the debt is fulfilled in the way of my people." He knelt in front of her, she noted he was eye-level now. She had gotten an eyeful of his bare chest and strong shoulders; she had to admit the bandages were sexy. "Lyn-_skir_," he spoke, his fierce amber eyes meeting hers as he gently grasped her hands, his palms open and facing her, again, in a sign of peace that relaxed her slightly. She couldn't help but notice how warm he was, despite the cool night and the aforementioned lack of shirt. "In return for saving my life at the risk of your own, at the risk your well-being," she struggled just a little to keep her composure and dignity, "I offer mine to you, to guard yours as you did mine; regardless of any sacrifice on my part. Will you allow me to follow you, protect you and thus keep my honor intact?" His energy felt like the hot wind sweeping the desert, laced with firestorm, circling around her, seeking to fulfill the new bond. It was heady and definitely a little arousing, she admitted to herself.

Lyn steeled herself, letting out a long, even breath to keep her voice steady as she gave him the formal response, "Ganondorf-_ti_, I accept your debt and will allow you to keep your honor intact." The magic dissipated; content that the bond was formed. As much as she disliked the idea of him getting general feelings of her state of well-being, she couldn't bring herself to give him the dishonor of refusing the debt. She had lived among the Gerudo too long to be able to do so. She took another deep breath, trying to calm her heart, which was pounding like she ran from Lake Hylia to Hyrule Castle. This was the most physical contact she had with a male in this life and she was at the point in her life where she was inclined towards seeking encounters with the opposite sex. It didn't help that this world's Ganondorf was physically attractive, his energy was intoxicating or that he was half naked. And that her only lover had been when she was twenty-four years of age last time. Her blush flared even more, and she forcing the newly-formed connection to dampen so it didn't betray her current lack of control. She mentally sighed.

Ganondorf's eyes softened as some of the burden was released from his shoulders. He impulsively leaned forward, gently brushing his lips against the knuckles of her left hand. Even as he pulled away, she could still feel the skin tingle where he had touched her as the butterflies flittered around her stomach, as could he. "My thanks, _hantia_ for accepting." She could feel his relief singing through the new bond.

She just nodded as she reigned in her emotions even more and shoved them to the back. She'd deal with them later when she wasn't running the risk of letting this infatuation get the best of her. She couldn't afford it. She had to treat the King of Thieves normally and not act like the hormone-ridden teen she was. She had to. She shoved the emotions and thoughts back even further.

Ganondorf bowed a playful smirk on his lips and fire dancing in his eyes from the slight emotion he could feel from her, "Again, my thanks _vés_."However the compliment was sincere. His smirk turned into a grin. The added bonus of throwing her off balance and seeing her reaction didn't hurt even though his heart skipped a beat. More heat rushed to her cheeks, not that he could see it. It was kind of sad, she reflected, that the first man to call her 'beautiful' here was one that tried to kill her on more than one occasion in another reality. It didn't mean that it helped her stop blushing though she was thoroughly sick of it.

"You said that just to get to me, didn't you?"

"Yes." Ganondorf readily admitted before leaving. He doubted she would inflict bodily harm on him for messing with her, but he didn't want to take the risk. She was uncomfortable and nervous with whatever was going on. The last thing he wanted to do was corner her. Not that he would admit that. He ruefully shook his head. Like the cobras of the desert, she was beautiful and deadly. And quick to strike, he concluded as he took a walk around the gardens, enjoying the cool breeze on his desert-tanned skin. Though his hand drifted up to touch his lips as he walked away, remembering that brief moment of contact... He sighed. And it wasn't even a kiss on the lips. That made it pathetic.

After he left, Thanatos muttered something under his breath, though she clearly heard the words "stab" and "sleep". She resolved to keep an eye on the Shadow Spirit for the foreseeable future. It would not be a good idea to kill a new ally, especially one who commanded as much power as Ganondorf, despite her inclination to agree with him. The less infatuation or attachment, the better in her eyes. It wouldn't do to deal with those memories again.

Darunia was less than pleased about the whole situation as he walked away from the enlightening conversation that he stumbled upon. His Sworn Sister was going to be involved in a war and the King of Thieves was giving her entirely too much attention. It probably didn't help that she never really was exposed to the other gender before, he mused. Well, it was her life to do with what she wished. He just hoped that he didn't have to kill the Gerudo. The political repercussions would be more than a little messy. And definitely bloody. But that worked for him.

Finally sure that Ganondorf was gone; she slipped past the guards again to go towards her original destination: the Temple of Time. She was slightly surprised that the Gerudo had caught her before she managed this escapade, but she really shouldn't have been. From his expression when he caught sight of her, he had been looking for her for quite some time. With that thought, she reinforced the barrier she put around that bond. She didn't care for him to feel her day-to-day emotions, but it would let strong emotion through so it would lack of would not raise suspicion. Lightly running past the guards on the lawn, she entered Hyrule Castle Town. Stealing into the Temple, she took a good look around. The main chamber didn't seem very different, except for the altar missing and the door was open. She hurriedly entered the secondary chamber, fearing the worst, where she finally saw the Door of Time and the altar. But what really caught her eye was the dais in the center of the room bearing the Master Sword. She practically ran to the sword and lovingly ran her hand along the hilt before ever-so-easily pulling the blade out of the Pedestal. The blue light that followed wasn't surprising.

Neither was seeing the Temple of Light and Rauru as the light vanished. "I am Rauru, Sage of Light and architect of the Temple of Time. You must be Lyn."

She nodded.

"The Goddesses' said you would be arriving, Hero of Time." He solemnly stated. "And they went so far as to alter my design all those years ago so you would have access to the Master Sword."

Her mind raced. Why not just prevent the Ocarina from cracking? She wondered, before realizing that was a very stupid question. The Goddesses' couldn't stop Ganon from entering this world because of their belief in free will and the power he bore, so they couldn't control the events leading up to the breaking of the ocarina, only could forewarn, which still might not necessarily prevent it… It would be easier just to talk to the Sage and get him to change his design and cast a few more spells on the sword. She felt a little humbled. That would've taken a lot of effort to do to interfere with history like that. "That must've taken some work." She let the thought escape.

Rauru seemed pleased that she had noticed. He was the only Sage that she was never able to get close to or read accurately as the last time she had seen him was when they sealed Ganon. "Indeed. And only you can draw it. The spells were designed to only let the Hero of Time touch the blade, so there are a few legends surrounding the Master Sword in that respect. It is also a well-known sword because it has been visible for hundreds of years, so don't hope on not being noticed." She took the sheath he handed her and slid the sword into it before strapping it to her back. "The legends surrounding the Triforce have changed as well from what you are used to." He continued. "There are two versions: the one you heard in your previous life and the second legend that we are now following, which came to pass when the Ocarina of Time cracked. It is said that during Hyrule's greatest time of need, the Hero of Time will step forth with the broken Ocarina and claim the Master Sword. With these two relics, the Spiritual Stones and the Sages, the sacred Triforce will be obtained and Hyrule will have prosperity. What is not recounted in the legend is that it will not be this reality's Triforce and that these are needed to defeat Ganon."

Rauru paused. "I cannot think of anything else that you need to know. However, if you should need advice or to awaken any Sages, all you have to do is return the Master Sword to the pedestal. When you draw it again and you will return here with anyone who is holding the blade with you. Also, may I see the Ocarina?"

She handed it to him. As he grasped it with both hands, blue light emitted from them and surrounded the Ocarina. A moment later, she was holding it and the cracks were gone, though there were visible blemishes where they had been. "It will not open the Door of Time because of the change in tone, unfortunately, but its magic is still more potent than your Fairy Ocarina and that will be useful."

Lyn half bowed, "Thank you."

Rauru nodded imperiously as she descended back into the blue light. Upon returning to the Temple, she unsheathed the Master Sword to look over the blade. She fell into a simple warm-up routine that came back to her instantly as she tested the balance and weight. She smiled as she moved, almost laughing at how it came back, how perfect the blade was for her. Sheathing it once more, she cast an illusion on the Master Sword. Satisfied, she slipped her sheathed Gilded Sword into her satchel and made her way back into the castle just before the sun was about to rise. She was intercepted by Nabooru before she could get into her room.

"Lyn!" Nabooru called out, getting her attention. Lyn turned to the Gerudo and smiled.

"What can I do for you, _esha_?"

"Poro, Kasa and I were wondering if you would join us for the Greeting."

Lyn's smile widened, "of course." She subtly sent Lisander and Thanatos on break. While the other spirits did spend time with her, those two were her designated guardians and Thanatos was not fond of Gerudo tradition (even less of their King), even if Lisander was indifferent.

She entered the room with Nabooru as the sun started to rise and they began. Traditionally, the Greeting was only practiced by the Priestesses, but it was taught to those who held great magical potential to help them focus. Naturally, Nabooru had "taught" her the Greeting of the Sun while they had been traveling together. She found it odd that Ganondorf wasn't with them, though she felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment that he wasn't. She couldn't deny her growing attraction, but despite the alliance that soothed her somewhat, she still felt uncomfortable around him due to her… history despite all the time that had passed for her. So she found herself some time later, running through the breathing exercises and yoga-like poses with the three other women. They moved and breathed in synchronization, their attention drawn inwards to their magic.

She felt another presence enter the room, drawing a flicker of awareness out of the trance. She recognized the presence immediately: Ganondorf. The winds and fire that surrounded him last night had died down and calmed even more as he joined them. His aura was unusually forcedly open in intent and that had the effect he wished for as it meshed with the others' as Lyn had drawn back into her trance as he joined the synchronized dance. He forced his attention inward as well, to keep his eyes from wandering. From a male's point of view, the Greeting was very sensual, erotic. And Lyn did it justice, moving through it as gracefully and precisely as any High Priestess should. It would be interesting to see how that dispute with Koume and Kotake would turn out if she ever went to the desert, but he brushed that thought away and focused. He went through the rest of the Greeting without a stray thought.

The female Gerudo completed the last of the stretches and gave Ganondorf a bow and respectful greeting before leaving. Lyn gave him a neutral smile and nod before following Nabooru out, feeling surprisingly relaxed. Ganondorf noted this and gave a slight bow in return, a more playful smirk in response to the smile as she left. He walked over to the window, closing his eyes as the breeze ran through his hair. That went surprisingly well. He'd have to make sure he came on time tomorrow. Lyn glanced back into the room, unsure of how she felt about the emotions flowing over the bond from Ganondorf's end. Unlike her, he was almost _projecting_ everything he felt over it. Which, he was, in an attempt to put his new, powerful ally and the woman he was attracted to at ease.

The meeting started a few hours later. Clenching her hands to hide the tremble, she entered the Throne Room with Darunia, one other Goron, Lisander and Thanatos. She noted that several guards from each species were guarding the door: three Zora, four Gorons and Poro. She gave them a nod as she slipped into the room. She quickly made her way to one of the pillars and leaned against it, passing Ganondorf, Nabooru and Kasa by the door. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, clearly interested in the anxiety she was showing. She ignored him and glanced to the throne. Zelda, Impa and Sheik were already there. Ruto and her two Zoran guards/advisors were lounging in some of the chairs provided. Lisander hovered over her while Thanatos hid in the Shadow behind her pillar and discreetly sent a magical pulse to check for eavesdropping and other unwanted things. She let out another deep breath as Thanatos gave the clear and Zelda spoke. Show time.

"We call this Counsel of War to session." The quiet chatter between the rulers and their subjects ceased. "We have much to discuss, so let us begin. The first thing we should establish is a chain of command and our successors should the worst happen."

Darunia nodded. "As I told my people, Lyn is Big Boss if anything happens to me during this conflict. After its resolution, if she wants to step down or the others don't want her leadership, the traditional method of selecting a leader will be implemented."

Ruto glanced at Lyn, clearly a surprised, but she spoke up next. "I am technically second after my father, so it goes back to him, then Tevok, I suppose."

"Nabooru then Kasa." Ganondorf was quick and sharp in his decision. Though his eyes lingered on Lyn when Kasa was mentioned. Lyn blinked. He considered her for Gerudian leadership?

Zelda paused then resolve made itself known her face as she spoke. "I name the heir to the Hylian Throne to be my sister Link at my passing and nominate her to be General of our combined forces."

Darunia, Ruto and Ganondorf looked at her in surprise. "Wasn't she killed in the raid?" Ganondorf asked without any tact. Lyn winced.

Darunia shrewdly stared at the princess. "And she was your elder."

"We thought she had died, but when she made her existence known, she renounced her birthright claim to the Throne. However, as there are no heirs, she will take over should anything happen to me." Zelda took a deep breath and locked eyes with Lyn. "Would you please step forward, sister?"

Lyn paused, not really wanting to but she felt the Triforce of Courage flare up. So she stepped forward, pulling down her mask and headscarf. "I told you, it's Lyn."

Ganondorf laughed, amusement racing down the bond from that confirmation. Darunia sighed, obviously having suspected. Ruto was just confused, as were all the others.

"What?" She asked, looking between the two sisters.

Lyn walked up to the throne and leaned over it, her hands resting on Zelda's shoulders. The princess looked uncomfortable from the contact, but all could see the familial resemblance. "It's quite simple, really. Mother took me from the castle, she died, and I was raised by the Kokiri until you all, more or less, met me when I went exploring. Zelda here was raised as heir, the people know her, love her. Me? Not so much, but I have the real-life experience she lacks." Lyn leaned back, removing her hands to Zelda's relief and moved next to the throne. "So will anyone second that motion? Or did I reveal all of that for nothing?"

Ganondorf's laughing had died down during her explanation, but chuckles erupted after she finished. "Seconded." Lyn smiled, his mirth forcing her mood to lighten. "Lyn-_skir_, you never cease to surprise."

"Thirded." Darunia linked eyes with her. "I know you. I know this country. We need you and you will be a great leader. I only regret I hadn't spoken up to your father so he could've seen what I have."

Lyn made a very respectful Goron gesture of thanks: spreading her arms, palms open and up before bringing them together and cupping them, offering them back out in a half-bow. Darunia nodded and turned away, obviously emotional.

"Well, it doesn't matter what say at this point, but I happen to agree with the other two; there's no other non-aquatic the Zoras would follow into battle." Ruto smirked, "Though the whole being royal thing is surprising. At least I made my engagement well."

Lyn winced again. "You need to bring that up?"

Ruto merely smiled. Curiosity made itself known along the bond. Zelda spoke before they got even more distracted. "With our second-in-commands and a General chosen, we have precedent on how to control our forces in this campaign. Is following that precedent agreeable?" After a quick agreement with a little ironing out details, the fun part began. Not that revealing her royal parentage wasn't fun… Ganondorf was still bursting with amusement over the bond.

Lyn strode forward to speak and share her gathered information on the subject. "The Bek are a very loosely affiliated nation. It is very surprising that this many tribes banded together. While they are officially allies against any outside threats, individual tribes do not necessarily get along; this indicates they have a very powerful leader for them to be voluntarily working together. Chances are this is the sorcerer that orchestrated the attack on Hyrule Castle." She could feel the fear welling up in her chest. She did not want to be in the spotlight like this. She irritably pushed it back down and ignored Ganondorf's pointed look. "They are poorly armed in comparison to Hylian and Gerudian weaponry, but they have skilled cavalry with archery and horse-back fighting due to their herding society. They have excellent group tactics, but are not suited for on foot hand-to-hand combat. They have few magic users, but the few they do have are powerful. They are used to harsh conditions of the steppe and northern plains and will likely be harder to kill due to their rough terrain for the average soldier. As for numbers… I honestly have no real idea, but I would guess three hundred warriors in the Bek Nation, minimum, not including if they recruit other tribes and associations."

"How do you know all this?" Impa asked, still suspicious, though mostly out of surprise.

"I have taken her scouting on occasion to the point where she's become our best spy and scout." Darunia staunchly spoke in her defense, annoyance coloring his voice at the Sheikah's vague accusation. "And I will take offense at any accusations, Sheikah. Lyn is my Sworn Sister and I will not have you insinuate anything, especially now that you answer to her."

Lyn continued on as if she hadn't been interrupted, though Impa got the point. "That number is a very rough guess though. I've only seen twenty one tribes, but they seem to be set up the same. There are roughly twenty to twenty-five members. Most of them are adults with about five or so children and two or so adolescents. Four to five tribes make up an extended family that gathers every so often. From what I've seen from these, every adult is a capable hunter and warrior, but they do need to leave people behind that are injured and to care for children; so about half of the adults are available for war. Two hundred plus accounted for. I've heard references to another dozen or so tribes. Another hundred and twenty, so about three hundred and thirty as a slightly more accurate estimation but it could be off after their attempted take-over."

Ruto neatly cut into the conversation. She pointed to one of the maps pinned to the wall. "The Zora River meets another river before the bridge to Gerudo Valley. It might be possible to send Zoran scouts up this river to get a better idea of numbers. A source of flowing water this large is bound to be site to many camps and can be used to get more information." Details for sending a team out immediately were established before Lyn continued.

"In comparison to our numbers are a bit lower. The Gorons, though almost impossible to kill, have very low numbers to begin with. I'm guessing the Boss will have the females and at least a fourth of the males on Death Mountain to defend as that is one of the prime borders open for attack. So this frees nineteen Gorons for the main army." Lyn glanced at Ruto. "Your people have high numbers, closer to the Hylian population. How many warriors could be spared?"

"Forty at the most." Ruto answered after a moment's thought. "Zoras are not violent by nature and we are confined to fighting in aquatic-friendly environments, limiting us to Hyrule Field, Zora's Domain, any rivers in enemy territory, and possibly the forest. The rest of us will be needed to defend our border with the Bek Nation."

Lyn nodded. "Ganondorf?"

"Twenty six of my people, myself included, are available to fight." His response was immediate.

Lyn turned to the throne. "Zelda?"

The Princess closed her eyes. "We have thirty seven Hylian soldiers. We can induce a draft to bring on another sixteen or so."

Lyn sighed and slid into a chair. She stared up at the ceiling as she spoke. "At best we have a hundred and thirty nine against three hundred plus. We also have a disadvantage. The tribes have already fallen back deeper into their territory, leaving the territory close to us free for the war party to use for hunting and to defend. They are already prepared and there is nothing we can do to damage their land or food supply except for lighting the steppe ablaze. This could also seriously backfire where Zora's Domain and the Kokiri Forest are concerned. Thus, we are forced into a defensive position. A good portion of our army needs to be deployed and a great deal of fortification needs to be done to the castle to make it defendable. Chances are they will launch constant assaults here."

She took a sip from one of the water glasses on the table in the center of the room after checking it was safe. "Death Mountain would seem a great place to avoid, but they need to cross to get to Kakariko. Once there, they could ravage the town and poison all water supplies. Same with Zora's Domain, unless it is heavily guarded. Kakariko also holds great strategic value in that once Death Mountain fell, it would be an excellent base to attack the rest of Hyrule with." She took another sip. Her throat was very dry from nerves. "The Gerudo are fairly well protected. The northern desert and their gate protect the compound from intrusion that way and the mountain their fortress is carved into is magically fortified. If the bridge was cut, they would be completely self-sustained for quite some time, except perhaps for water if any of the situations I previously stated come to pass."

She paused again, organizing her thoughts. "This keeps the western border safe. Beyond Lake Hylia, and to the west of Hyrule is the Great Sea. The Bek can't attack from here. From what I know, the sea stretches alongside the desert for leagues, with no fresh water available. Along the Great Sea as well is the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods. Where the water ends, trees begin. The forest surrounds Zora's Domain up the point of the steppe and goes all the way to Termina and beyond. The Bek may try to travel through there, but they have enough horror stories that they may not chance it. Regardless Kakariko, Lake Hylia, Lon Lon Ranch, Hyrule Castle Town, Zora's Domain and the Gerudo Valley should be guarded in case they do. And as we already covered, anywhere to the north is fair game."

She met the faces of the rulers. "Simply put, we need more people and to optimize these defenses. Magic is our best bet, especially against horses, as is Termina for allies."

Zelda shook her head. "Termina is a neutral nation, staying out of its' neighbor's wars. They wouldn't come to our aid."

Ganondorf glanced up at 'Termina'. "We Gerudo have kin there. They may not be entirely willing to work with us, but it is worth attempting even if they do not answer to me. My people may have better luck trying to get help from some of the other desert tribes. If the Bek want to attack us, they will be looking for allies there as well." He smirked. "The desert will eat them alive if the leevers don't get to them first."

Lyn fought the urge to bash her head into a pillar when Ganondorf brought this up, but she still continued with her idea. "Then I suggest, as General, that Lord Ganondorf and I go to Termina and the desert to attempt to establish alliances there. While we are gone, each race works on fortifying their respective areas, defend them, keep communications open and scout the enemy's resources. We will reconvene in one month to go over progress, update intelligence and formulate a more effective plan with any reinforcements. Anyone object or have anything to add?"

No one spoke on that subject, so the meeting continued. After hours more, it was finally adjourned.

Lyn made her way to her quarters and packed the few possessions she didn't always carry in her satchel. As she packed, she gave her Spirits instructions. As an alternate universe, they weren't allowed without a higher-up deity's permission so she set them to spying and the like. Thanatos was less than happy, but agreed to watch over the Gorons and Death Mountain with Resata. Lisander was to leave the next morning to watch over the Kokiri. As she finished, she wasn't surprised when she turned to leave and Ganondorf was leaning against the door frame. "No guards?" At this, she was surprised but it was a slight relief. As much as she cared for Nabooru and liked the other two Gerudo, they were obligated to follow Ganondorf's every command as his personal guards.

"No guards." He agreed mildly. He couldn't tell how she took that.

She shrugged. "Let's go then. I would like to make it to the forest as soon as possible." So they ran, making any Stalchildren confrontations obsolete with their speed. It was when they stepped into the forest he felt the absolute dread and fear scream down the bond. Then she took off. He did his best to keep up, but she practically flew towards her destination. It wasn't until he heard her scream of rage and he hit the barrier that separated the Kokiri Forest from Hyrule Field that he understood, before he even smelled the smoke or heard the fire.

Lyn couldn't move. She watched in horror, tears slipping down her face. The Kokiri Forest was in flames. In the distance, she could see fire licking the topmost branches of the Great Deku Tree. The Kokiri screamed and ran as the fire spread and spread. She didn't realize she screamed. She didn't realize she pulled out the Ocarina of Time until the last note of the Song of Storms brought the rain. She held it shakily, as the torrential downpour doused the fire, but the damage had been done. As if in a dream (she wasn't a lucid dreamer) she walked. The deeper into the dwellings, the worst the fire got. She closed her eyes. The source of the flames had been the Great Deku Tree.

She stopped in front of her house. The east side was charred, but the west side hadn't caught yet. She moved on. Saria's house, the twins' house and the shop were ashes. Mido's house was slightly charred and the brothers' house was fine. She closed her eyes when she saw the bodies of the sisters and the shopkeeper but checked them for pulses anyway. They were dead. She didn't even have to go into the glen to check on the Great Deku Tree. He was dead. His energy was gone. She stood there, absolutely still in the rain, eyes fixed on the bodies. Ganondorf walked up behind her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Save any of the buildings you can. If I haven't come back when you're done, see if you can find the cause or source of the fire. If you start to feel ill or weak at all, please leave the forest. The last thing I need is you turning into a Stalfos." Her voice was void of any inflection. She left as she uttered the last syllable, much to Ganondorf's concern. As he worked, he admitted to himself he was worried. Rushing through the last house, he followed her trail into the forest. He had the feeling she shouldn't be alone.

Lyn ran towards the Sacred Forest Meadow but skidded to a halt when she came across the next atrocity. She found the remaining Kokiri. Her sword was out before she realized she drew it as she rushed over to them, futility checking the brothers for pulses. Blood was everywhere. The brothers were dead. Fado and Mido were barely breathing and Saria was gone. Snarling, she cast the strongest healing spells she knew on them, barely pulling them into stable condition as the very familiar black presence manifested.

"Ganon." The fury materialized as well, replacing the shock; boiling under her skin. The demon himself appeared behind her, a malevolent smirk on his face. "Why." It wasn't a question, it was an order. She stared at the sorcerer. Unsurprisingly, he looked no different from their last battle.

The King of Evil leaned against one of the giant oaks, surprising her with an answer. "Simple, kid. Look at yourself." He laughed. "You cared too much for those snot-nosed brats." He paused, looking her straight in the eyes, "that and how else am I supposed to get that fire in your eyes?" He barely dodged her first attack, his eyes catching the blade. "Got the Master Sword, eh?" He asked rhetorically as he dodged. "All we are missing now is your boy toy." This laughter was more from humor. "It would be this reality's version of me." She was overextended in her rage and couldn't stop him from stepping into her guard. He firmly grabbed her left wrist and cupped her chin, his hellfire eyes never leaving hers. She was nearly practically hyperventilating, unsure of what he was doing, and that sincerely scared her. "Which is a shame," He almost whispered, "as it could've been me." At that she froze, and his eyes lost a little of their hardness. He leaned forward, his lips next her ear. It all felt so similar yet so wrong as she flashed back to encounters with Ganondorf. His scent was wrong. She was shaking. She forced herself to calm down, to ignore the memories bubbling to the surface. "I offered you the world. Everything you ever wanted. Control over your life. Your freedom. Hyrule... and our magics would've forced me to keep my promises if I ever changed my mind. But… I know why you did not. I disgraced myself and you with my actions." He pulled away, fury evident in his voice though he still gently held her still. "And for that, this war will rage on until I lie dead in the dust?"

Ganon let her go and easily sidestepped the lightning.

Ganondorf stepped forward, his eyes not betraying anything as he sized Ganon up, lighting still dancing in his palm. He moved over to Lyn, clearly making his stance on the issue known as he moved in front of her in a protective position, never letting Ganon out of his line of sight. "Are you hurt, _Éši-príλ_?" His tone was gentle as he pulled her close. She inhaled deeply. His scent was so similar to Ganon's yet… She deeply breathed in sandalwood and relaxed slightly, mind clearing.

Ganon chuckled, sounding more like his sinister self, though a touch of his earlier emotion was still there. "Well, this certainly explains a lot." He looked between the two allies, and struck. Ganondorf didn't stand a chance. He crumpled from the blow to the head. Lyn easily caught him and teleported them away from the second attack. She half kneeled, half carrying the Gerudo, half draping him across her lap. Ganon stopped his third attack, clearly focusing on her face when he smirked. "Well, Hero, as are you liable to want me dead for my transgression, I still want to rule the world and in that we cannot reach a compromise, it looks like this war continues. But as… a gesture of goodwill, of my offer still standing, I leave you a gift." He moved to the side, his cloak dramatically revealing Saria's bloody body. "The Sage of the Forest, your best friend is alive." He continued.

Lyn was the picture of fury, her magic swirling wildly around her, forcing the wound to heal. Ganondorf barely came to even with the energy unintentionally exerted. "Leave." The order held all of her force behind it. Ganondorf shuddered.

"As you wish, Hero." As Ganon spoke, he lifted his right fist. Ganondorf's eyes widened at the Triforce mark that appeared over the leather and metal gauntlet. Ganon's mocking laughter echoed throughout the glen, even after he was gone.

Ganondorf added more wood to the fire and glanced at Lyn, more than a little concerned. Lyn had rushed the three Kokiri to the Temple of Time, taking all of them to the Temple of Light through the Master Sword for the Kokiri to heal. Rauru had promised to look after them. It had been an interesting trip to say the least, raising all sorts of questions. Ganondorf had tagged along, not taking 'no' for an answer. Lyn didn't have the energy to deny him after he promised that he would wait for her to talk to him about what happened to ask his questions. She knew she should be curious as to why he was being so understanding and open, but she didn't have the energy. "The little ones are safe in the Temple. I've cast some protective barriers in addition to yours on the Pedestal." He reassured.

Lyn nodded. He sat down beside her. As he opened his mouth to speak again, she spoke. "Just give me a little time, and I will explain. I will tell you before we get back to Hyrule from Termina." Her voice was pained and he could still see the tear-stains on her face and that more were about to fall. On impulse he hugged her. She stiffened initially, but relaxed into it as he opened his aura and the alliance bond. He whispered soothing words in the Gerudian tongue as she cried. He held her close, gently stroking her hair and rubbing soothing circles into her back. Slowly the sobs became fewer, her breathing easier. He continued his ministrations regardless.

It wasn't until she snickered that he stopped to ask "what's so funny?"

He couldn't see her face as her forehead was to his chest, but her voice was cracked, still full of pain and sorrow. "You're the first person to do anything like this, ever, when I've seen someone die. And that is… ironic, given…" She didn't elaborate, but he trusted her promise of explanation later. Though it did pain him to hear her admit that. Even he had his mother after he witnessed his elder sister's death. He kept silent, but continued his other comforting movements until she was well asleep. He didn't stop until she started to stir the next morning. He gently pulled away before she regained consciousness and began to make breakfast.

With the Kokiri taken care of and Lisander given the time off, they had no reason to stay at the temple. Ganondorf watched again from a distance as she paid her respects to the Great Deku Tree and the fallen Kokiri at the grave they made in the tree's meadow. He waited silently and followed her as she left, wisely keeping his distance as they walked through the forest and jumped into a tree of all things. He was more than a little curious about the various images that passed him by in the darkness and was surprised by the landing. "What is this?"

"A Deku flower." He didn't even realize he had spoken aloud. "It is how we would get back to Hyrule, if we were Deku. As we are not, we will improvise." She pulled out her ocarina. His eyes strayed to it.

"Is that…?"

"The Ocarina of Time? Yes. It won't be fulfilling its intended purpose though." She showed him a discoloration spreading in a streak across the entire instrument. "It broke and this patch isn't good enough to get its original tone back." She walked closer to him and he was more than a little shocked when she voluntarily put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't let go." A few music notes later and he was blinking at the sudden sunlight in the middle of a town.

Lyn backed away, forcing his hand to drop. "Welcome to Clock Town, the center of Termina. Please follow my lead and don't do anything stupid." He was about to snap a comeback when he noticed the smile playing on her lips and relaxed.

"I am not the one that should be reprimanded for that." He idly sniped back, returning the smile as she walked off towards East Clock Town.

**Glossary**

_Hantia_: warrior/fighter, used out of respect

_Vés_: beautiful, used to get under Lyn's skin, though he was sincere.

_Diλi vaya:_ a very sacred thing among the Gerudo. When the Gerudo are in battle, they trust their people to protect their backs and look out for each other. When an outsider goes out of their way to sincerely protect one of the Gerudo, that Gerudo owes that outsider a life debt. It needs to be fulfilled, but not necessarily immediately. It means that the Gerudo will stick with the outsider until they save the outsider's life in something that isn't staged. For the Gerudo King to owe a debt (the word isn't even in their vocabulary except for this situation) is a huge deal and places the whole nation in the outsider's debt. It is possible to fulfill the debt in another way, such as granting the outsider their greatest wish or saving the life of someone whose value is equal in the eyes of the outsider. However, Ganondorf is old-school, so his honor will only accept the life for life arrangement.

-_ti (tee)_: King, title.

_Esha (Ai-shah)_: Sister; term of endearment. All of the Gerudo call their own this, whether they are sisters or not.

Poro: Cloud

Kasa: Red

**-**_skir (skeer)_: hero

_Éši-príλ: Priestess; more literally goddess-woman. _

Fun facts:

Ganín (Gahn-ihn: Demon/King of Darkness/darkness/evil)

Dorf: without

Nabooru's name is derived from "wolf"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

If nothing else, Ganondorf had to admit Lyn worked quickly. She brushed past the secretary and entered the Mayor's office without a hitch. To his surprise, the Mayor ushered his previous appointment out so he could immediately listen to her. What surprised him even further was that the Mayor agreed to help, sending soldiers and supplies; breaking the centuries old neutrality. When they left, Ganondorf was about to ask why he had all but tripped over himself to help, but she cut him off with "later", obviously focused in her purpose. His second surprise was meeting the Mayor's son. Lyn greeted him like an old friend, and the roaring dragon of jealousy was quickly squelched when he found out his wife was expecting. What unnerved him was that the boy had Sheikah eyes. Lyn actually answered that question; apparently he was descendent of a very dilute bloodline, watered down by generations of Terminian marriage. She then paused and with a wry quirk of her lips and affirmed that the blood was still strong within him however.

She then led them to the Inn for the night, stating that they could talk to the other races tomorrow. The townsfolk would take the longest to mobilize, she figured as she outlined her plan. The Zoras and Pirates would be next, as with their feud and methods of government, they would respectively take quite some time to mobilize. The Gorons would follow them, then the Deku, and lastly the inhabitants of Ikana. It only took them a day to travel there, so Lyn estimated that a week for travelling would suffice for the hopeful army. That gave them three weeks to pull together the army completely. With that discussion finished, Lyn insisted that they went to bed early, having guaranteed a long day tomorrow. Not that it did her any good, not with her nightmares.

Ganondorf, on the other hand, slept soundly.

He groaned as the light shined in his eyes due to the sudden lack of curtain. Swearing, he pulled a pillow over them. Lyn actually giggled. He half-heartedly glared at her, but all ire had vanished at her laughter. He growled, the vibration deep in his throat, but slowly sat up and stretched as he did so.

She smiled, almost fondly as she set down the tray of food. Anju had eagerly offered to cook, but Lyn had politely declined and made their breakfast herself earlier. She kept the corner of her eye on him as she set the table. She smiled as she took in the sight of him stretching. The morning sunlight lit up the red in his hair and accenting his dark desert dwellers' skin, which was taut over his muscles. He has a gorgeous body she idly thought as she sipped her tea and not so discreetly watched him. She blamed her lack of caution on her lack of sleep.

Ganondorf felt her eyes on him for once and felt her emotions humming along the bond, so he took the opportunity to show off. He smirked as he extended his stretches and got on with his preparations for the day. He quickly shaved, but decided to keep growing out the facial hair framing his chin and jaw line. As his preference, he opted for pants only as he sat down to breakfast with her. They soon started chatting amicably over the oatmeal, fruit and tea. But Ganondorf soon felt daring enough to turn the conversation to more personal events. "So why does the Mayor feel indebted to you to the point of breaking their neutrality?" He did his best to ask nonchalantly ask before biting into a pear.

Lyn glanced at him sharply, but sighed, wrapped her hands around her cup and answered. "About four years ago… A mask of evil and great power was stolen by a Skull Kid. It overwhelmed him and nearly destroyed this town. It also caused a lot of mayhem and killed quite a few people in the surrounding territories. I destroyed the mask, undid a lot of the damage and as a result, all of the races and the townsfolk feel indebted to me, with the exception of the Pirates." She wryly smiled. "They don't like me much, even if they grudgingly respect my abilities, which is why you are here."

Ganondorf leaned forward, looking her in the face. "You would've been how old?"

"Thirteen." She took another sip of her tea.

He leaned back and rubbed his eyes. That was a good ten-year difference, though he looked like he was in his very early twenties. Surprisingly for the climate they lived in, the Gerudo aged well. He opened his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He let his gaze trail over Lyn, who didn't notice or was deliberately ignoring it. He suspected the latter. Ten years was nothing to the Gerudo, who could count their lives in centuries, if they lived them out naturally. Unfortunately, life in the desert was harsh, and his people rarely lived out a full hundred as a result. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he sighed. His first order of business was to figure out how to actually court her.

Granted, they had essentially just met; but she wielded power, lineage, deadly beauty, a commanding—even if it tended to be silent—personality, and he was sincerely attracted to her. Quite often, Kings' unions were set up by the priestesses for political purposes, if the kings were not married to one. If he wanted to marry a woman of his choice, she would have to be an exceptional bride and he had to make that known now before the choice was taken from him. Even if only her power was taken into account, she was an excellent choice. To make things even more… _enticing_ for him, she was at least his equal, easily surpassing him. If there was one thing he needed in his mate, it was the strength to rule with him. She was also clearly interested, but something was holding her back… His eyes narrowed as he finished his meal. And it had something to do with his doppelganger, which was a sore point with both of them. The other was clearly more powerful which was something he had to rectify, and quickly. As for why he bothered Lyn… Ganondorf could guess; and it explained why she was so uncomfortable around him. He thanked the Goddesses above that she was tolerating his presence more.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Lyn started talking, "We should head over to the ocean. Do you remember what we discussed last night?" She asked as she stood up and started to clean up the remnants of their meal.

Ganondorf smirked and got up to help. "Of course, _hantia_. You meet with the Zoras, I with the Pirates and we convince them to meet tomorrow at noon at the laboratory to discuss a ceasefire and to aid with the war in Hyrule." He daringly stayed close to her personal space and was rewarded in that she didn't tense from his proximity. "How do you know the professor there will agree to host this potentially disastrous meeting?" They moved the table into the corner.

"I already asked him." How remained a question to him, but he supposed she could've teleported. "Now, I know it's a little late, but…" She stepped into the open area and began to stretch, obviously getting stretched out and limbered up for the day. Her tone and language became more formal as a reflection of her unease and slight insecurity, at her request and his lack of dress. "I would like to perform the Greeting on the beach when we arrive. Would you like to join me?"

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows and stood, yawning. "You have to ask, _vés_?"

She just smiled as they finished cleaning up. It was a few hours later that they reached the beach. Ganondorf dropped his bag into the sand; it fell with a soft thump.

"That sand is going to get in your armor, you know." Lyn remarked, still taking in his broad, bare shoulders.

He snorted. "I live in a desert."

Lyn shrugged.

Ganondorf smirked as he walked over toward her, palms open. She returned the grin as they both reached out with their magic and she pressed their palms together. They both gasped, out of breath as their power danced along the other's veins, sparks flying from where they touched. Both were still breathless, not really surprised at how quickly their energies and magics matched the other if they were at the initial connection. Breaking from the traditional Greeting, they began to move around each other, unconsciously testing this synergy. Lyn moved; Ganondorf matched her perfectly, unthinkingly. He pulled her close, she walked into him. She pulled away and stepped into the water, he walked into her and his joined her steps in the spray, his arm wrapped comfortably around her waist. His amber eyes never left her breathtaking sapphire as the wind kicked up the surf and sand around them. He felt himself leaning forward, heart rate increasing, as if in trace. With a bittersweet smile and forced his forehead into the crook of her neck; ending the dance. He faintly recognized slight disappointment coming from her and that easily lifted some weight off his shoulders in the form of relief.

His smile turned to amusement as he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. He could clearly smell the fragrance of desert roses and the spice of power, but she also had the aroma of a forest after a cleansing rain, and he could smell the red, fertile earth of the volcano. But underneath it all, she was clean, familiar, comforting. She smelled like… what he imagined home, safety would be. He unconsciously pulled her closer in a stronger embrace, not wanting her to leave. He drew her closer as she returned it. It was with much regret he let her go to Zora's Cape and he left for the Pirate's Fortress. He refused to look back as he walked away, otherwise, he wouldn't leave, would potentially destroy the shreds of trust he had managed to build and she needed him to complete this task. As for why he had this uncharacteristic need to be close… He was attached and something was telling him that her skills would be needed, and soon.

Lyn watched him leave, feeling both perturbed and flattered by the emotions coming from Ganondorf's end. She was honest with herself and knew she was attracted to him. Just enough time had passed and she had been around him enough to see he and Ganon were very different. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair as she turned and walked towards Zora's Cape. It was still uncomfortable to around him, to a degree, though she found she enjoyed his company and humor immensely, even more so than Japas. She felt a pang at the thought of her former, and only, lover. In this life, their relationship wasn't going to happen. He had approached her because her Zora form had been his best friend initially and he wanted Mikau back. Attraction didn't develop for quite some time after. It bothered her that they would never be together a little, but, ultimately, that relationship was doomed to fail in both lives. Japas was an excellent warrior and lover, he was also very laid-back and understanding, but… He wanted children, stability and his band to do well.

As a human and with how the magic worked, she could never have children as a Zora and the two species were not compatible biologically. Stability was never a factor in her life, as something always came up and she traveled where she was needed. She was no longer a part of the band and would rarely be able to come to the concerts. It had been a point of conflict when they had been together… She sighed but pushed that thought out of her head as she transformed. It still was excruciatingly painful, but Mikau's emotions and priorities were no longer overriding her own as she had twisted the ability to suit her needs. Though the background information had been useful, it was no longer needed with her own experiences. She easily swam through the water, making it to Zora Hall in record time. As soon as she stepped into the Hall, she was accosted by the school of younglings. She smiled and answered the questions Lulu and Mikau's children bombed her with to the best of her ability and that she could understand. The commotion brought the older Zoras running, Mikau and Lulu being among the first.

The guitarist and singer pulled her into a warm hug and the children were soon sent away with a promise of playtime later. "They're growing so fast." Lyn smiled as they ran off.

Mikau grinned. "Yeah, I know, right? Seems like yesterday they were tadlings." He looked to Lyn. "I take it you're not here rock with us?" Lyn grimaced. "Unfortunately, no." Mikau mock-sighed and turned to Lulu. "I'll go grab the guys, babe." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and dived into the pool.

Lulu hugged her again and the two pairs of blue eyes met. After being prompted, Lulu started talking about how life was going at Great Bay. Apparently the school was doing extremely well, all surviving their first years despite their precarious hatching, and surprising everyone. The band was gaining popularity and they were trying new music. Evan had finally let Mikau and Japas openly write music for the band. She thanked Lyn profusely for that and for the maturation Mikau had gone through after the trouble at Great Bay. The couple was still having marital bliss. They had two new female members to vary their sound a bit. One of the ladies was currently dating Tijo while Evan was engaged to the other. Japas was still single, but his love was for music and was content with being the odd fish out. The Pirates were surprisingly keeping their raids to a minimum and few had been lost. Before she could ask Lyn about what was going on with her, the original members of the Indigo-Gos and Mikau had arrived. They greeted her in their own ways: Tijo gave her a warm smile, Evan a curt nod and Japas a loose hug. After some small talk, Evan invited her and the group into his room/studio to discuss what brought her to Zora Hall, being the straightforward Zora he was.

After everyone settled, Lyn began by standing uncomfortably and reluctantly decided to stay in Zoran form. She doubted they would stomach the transformation well. "As you know, I am Hylian. To make this clear, officially, I am here as General of the Hylian Army to ask your people for any aid they will provide. In turn for hearing me out, the Gerudo King has agreed to talk to his sister nation and set up a meeting for a cease-fire that will be tomorrow, if you are interested." Lyn took a breath, but was interrupted before she could continue.

"What do you need?" Mikau idly asked.

"Warriors are direly needed to protect the waterways. Baring that… medical supplies, scouts if possible."

Evan snorted. "You know we are short on all of the above. We don't owe you anything, why should we help Hyrule?"

"All righty then… I don't know about anyone else here, but sign me up." Mikau grinned as he ignored Evan and Lulu's sigh.

"Mikau!" Evan stood to protest. He didn't even get out of his seat before Mikau was standing in front of him, eyes boring into the pianist.

"Evan, if not for Lyn here, my children and I would be dead, Lulu mute, our band and lifeblood decimated. Our people would be starving from the harsh fishing or killed by Pirates because of the issues with the Temple. We don't owe Hyrule anything, but I, at the very least, owe Lyn! And, yes, I know the risks associated with war, being the main warrior of this tribe. I know that it will hurt the band short term, possibly in the long run. But…" He glanced back at Lyn. "We all owe her, and she has been a great friend and ally to our people. Don't you dare say otherwise."

Evan leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "So long as you are the one to inform Toto that we will have to cancel the tour he was planning, I will see what I can do about getting medicine stockpiled and a volunteer list going."

"Then sign me up, man." Japas called from his position back against the wall.

Evan sighed, but pulled a fishbone pen and some paper from his desk to put down the names.

Later that evening, Lyn was with the Zoras on the beach. It was a full moon and they were celebrating the tides with evening fishing, an outdoor concert, dancing and feasting. Lyn was recruited by the warriors of the tribe, which had exponentially grown in number, for the fishing. They were ensuring she was having a good time, playing games of skill with attempting to ride the larger fish, such as the swordfish, desbreko and a few of the less vicious sharks in between hauls. Lyn and Mikau were declared the two successful riders of the night as the Zora pulled up the nets bulging with fish. Once the fish were gutted by all of the partying Zoras and set up to be prepared by the volunteer cooks, the concert started. Lyn had mastered the instruments of her alter egos and was able to summon them from the Ocarina without being in the proper form and was thus called to play the drums and ocarina along with the guitar. One of the two new additions played wind instruments, but didn't care for the ocarina and the other played other stringed instruments like the violin.

She had to admit she liked the new sound and had a great time playing, though it took her a few moments to adjust to each song. It was easy to get into the concert feel again with the crowd moving and singing along with Lulu. It was about an hour later when the feast started that the music regretfully ended. The laughter and conversation soon made up for it. And the moon had well set by the time the Zoras slipped into sleep.

The next day, she rose with the sun and was instantly assimilated into planning for the peace talk that afternoon. Sitting next to Mikau in Evan's room, she looked at the assembled volunteers: Mikau, Japas, Evan and herself before pulling out a map of Great Bay. Looking it over, they outlined escape and contingency plans given the Pirates' likely trajectory. It was practically a given that Lyn would be their spokesfish, so they discussed what would be acceptable terms and conditions. As soon as everything was decided, meals were eaten and preparations started. Lyn filled all of her bottles with fairies and potions. She also sharpened and polished all of her weapons. An hour before the appointed time, the Zoras departed for Great Bay proper.

Lyn and Mikau stood on the lower platform. Evan and Japas sat in the shade of the observatory, waiting and able to jump in should things get out of hand. Mikau and Lyn were the better brawlers so better equipped for a surprise attack. Lyn doubted it would come to that. Ganondorf may not be the Pirates' leader, but he was still their equal as he was Gerudo and he had a very forceful personality. She smiled a little ironically at that. If this world's Ganondorf had touched the Triforce, she suspected it wouldn't shatter. She glanced at the sun. There was another half hour yet before the Pirates arrived. Mikau caught her eye and gave a smile and nod, so she dived into the water.

After a moment of relaxation in the cool ocean, she took a breath and sent out the clicks and chirps that created the Zora's little known ability of sonar. She closed her eyes and listened, letting the echoes come back to her. Her eyebrows furrowed. The Pirates were en route. This was earlier than suspected but not surprising. What was surprising was the large, powerful fish moving through the water to intercept them. A shark. She bolted out of the water and somersaulted onto the deck, unease and trepidation obvious in her every move. "Pirates are on route. A shark is trailing them."

Japas summed up all of what they were thinking in one word, "shit."

Ganondorf knew something was wrong, his senses told him and he felt great unease from Lyn. So did Aveil, if her uncomfortable shifting was any indication. Her eyes were constantly searching the sea.

"Something wrong?" He asked. He was in no way, shape or form comfortable with the sea so he decided to try to feel out what the Pirate Captain was thinking.

"Something is not right." She muttered, leaning over the edge of the boat.

"The Zora?" He threw out to see her reaction.

"Nah. The fish have grown backbones recently, but they haven't stooped low enough to use our tactics. I wouldn't doubt that they're already waiting for us or have scouts, but actually trailing us is not something that they would do." She scanned the waves one last time and obviously seeing something before shouting to the other two boats. "Something's in the water!"

Then the boat shook. Ganondorf and Aveil were at the prow, and the only two to fall in. The other Pirates were far enough back they managed to stay on the boat. Aveil was quick to pull herself back up but Ganondorf was not so lucky. His armor immediately started to drag him down as he entered the water. Ganondorf immediately tore off his cape and started tugging at this armor. He could swim but as a desert-dweller, he was not very good and could not afford any superfluous weight dragging him down. Eyes stinging, he ditched the arm guards and breastplate. That's when he saw the shark. He had only heard about them from the other desert tribes that occasionally went to the ocean and immediately knew that this was one. And it was heading right towards him, almost right on him, jaws wide with rows and rows of teeth. Too quick, he didn't have time for a spell or to draw a weapon or attack it at all. That's when her fear hit him: that there wasn't enough _time_; that she was going to lose him, it literally made his head spin. This was the most emotion he had received from her end of the bond ever. Even when in the Forest and seeing her dead people, she had barely let anything through. Now, it was washing over him in waves.  
Then the fish was shrieking in pain. He saw and felt the electricity that was frying the shark. It pulled away. The Zora, it couldn't be anything else, was immediately next to him, pulling him towards the surface. He caught sight of the aquatic's face. The eyes were black and the face obviously Zoran, but he recognized Lyn. They broke the surface, he was gasping for breath. Lyn helped him stay afloat long enough for the Pirates to pull him up. That was when she was pulled under, blood billowing from the deep, and pain screaming along their bond.

"LYN!" He helplessly bellowed, his fear for her and _anger_, at himself for being so helpless and requiring her to save him quite possibly at the cost of her life _again_ as well as the fury direct at the fish coloring his roar.

Lyn cried out as the jaws snapped shut on her left leg and dragged her down. She reflexively summoned her magic shield, zapping the shark into letting her go. She cried out again, letting the images flow into her mind from her sonar, her blood rendering her regular vision useless. She quickly uncorked one of her bottles and the fairy immediately swirled around her, attending to her wounds as she dodged the shark. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. Japas and Mikau were the only ones in the water. Evan had stayed behind to ensure that nothing happened topside. The shark was focusing on her because the blood was still clinging to her. Quickly shouting instructions to Mikau and Japas, they went to work. She charged the shark, while Japas and Mikau came up on either side. She hit it in the nose as they grabbed each fin. Slicing its' eyes to distract it and causing it to roar in pain, she helped them flip it over. It thrashed for a moment, but it soon became docile. She then sliced its gills and they pulled it to the surface.

The Pirates were less than thrilled when the battered Zora surfaced, bringing the dead shark with them. Lyn glanced at the boats then the dock. The boats were closer, but she doubted the Pirates would appreciate a shark being pulled up onto one. Shouting at Mikau and Japas in Zoran, they started pulling the catch towards the Laboratory. She caught Ganondorf's gaze and swallowed at the emotion in his eyes. She smiled and jerked her head towards the Lab. The Gerudo's expression softened as he nodded and the Pirates steered their boats to dock there as well, still giving the shark a healthy distance. Mikau hopped out of the water so he and Evan pulled the fish up as Lyn and Japas pushed. Evan looked over the fish, ignoring the Pirates for the catch.

He whistled. "Nice." He said appreciatively in Zora. Japas looked it over as well before looking to the other Zora. "I'll clean this up while you three deal with the Pirates." At Mikau's worried look, he grinned. "I'll keep my ears open for trouble man. Don't worry." With that agreed on, Lyn led the other two Zora towards the boats. Instinctively, they fell into line behind her at her sides.

Ganondorf and Aveil walked forward to meet them. Aveil looked Lyn over. "You're the bitch who stole the eggs and Hookshot."

Lyn smiled, fangs showing. "Only because you stole them first."

Ganondorf tensed slightly. He knew Aveil. She did not take being insulted lightly and Lyn had obviously greatly humiliated the Pirates. Though he had to admit, he was enjoying her Zora form more and more. Those fangs were dead sexy.

To his surprise, Aveil laughed. "Well stated, b_ųžųš_." He felt some of the tension fade. Her tone was light, playful. Genuine. "That is the way of our kind." She looked at Lyn. "And you are one of us, are you not Priestess?"

She felt Mikau shift, but the high-pitched chirps he made that no other race could hear stated he was behind her all the way. Thus, she shifted.

Ganondorf nearly took a step back at the change. It was obviously painful, but oddly… erotic. For a moment, her eyes were the solid blue, skin tan, Zoran fins still strong and proud, half way between Zora and Hylian. Then he blinked and Lyn stood before him. The only hint of her previous form was the armor strapped around her abdomen. He noticed the Zoran warrior shifting uneasily, obviously he had been covering her during her change and suspected what was about to happen.

Lyn didn't need to speak. Aveil circled her, to the obvious discomfort of the Zora. Lyn was calm, though he felt the determination and her poise through the bond. One wrong move and he knew Aveil would be dead. He knew the Pirate didn't sense it though, though she did suspect from the way she was circling. He felt no inclination to warn her. Ultimately, the Pirates and Gerudo had no real ties to each other besides the fact they had a common ancestor and religion. They had two completely different cultures and the language was quickly diverging into two separate tongues. They would aid each other, but for a price. And now he owed Lyn much more than the Pirates.

Aveil attacked first to no one's surprise. Lyn easily matched her speed in drawing her scimitars and redirected the blow, pushing the Pirate off balance. Before the captain could recover, she kicked down into her back, forcing her down and resting the edge of her blade on the Pirate's neck. "Now, what made you think that this fight would turn out differently from the last?" Lyn asked, actually curious.

Aveil laughed. "Nothing, _esha_." Lyn backed away and let her up. The one custom Gerudo and Pirate still shared was when one was called sister, no more harm was meant. The Pirate stood and gave her a good once-over. "The Mother came to me the night Ganondorf-_ti_ approached us." Aveil ruefully rubbed her back. "She said you would be a powerful ally or devastating enemy. I could see that before, seven or so years ago, but I wanted to see how much stronger you have gotten, to see if the conflict she foretold would be worth it." Aveil straightened and met Lyn's eyes. "Back then, we stood a chance. Now, you could easily and single-handedly destroy us all to ensure that nothing happened to the Zora while the warriors are away." She then stepped forward and offered her hand to Lyn.

Lyn paused. With the Gerudo, blood bonds and pacts were made to honor alliances and agreements at this point. She was unsure of the Pirate custom, but stepped forward and took Aveil's hand. Aveil just shook her hand. "What? We know what happens if we go back on our end of the bargain." Aveil noted at Lyn's expression. "We will leave the Zora alone the entire duration the warriors are gone, plus a year and a day as tradition demands." She then shrugged. "Who knows, mayhap then we can work something out that's more permanent."

Lyn stared long at the Pirate. Finding she was sincere, she nodded and walked back towards the Zora, talking rapidly in their language. "You heard the terms?"

"Of course." Evan replied, folding his arms.

Lyn smiled. "I will meet you back at Zora's Domain. I'm sure you want to tell the others the good news, eh, Mikau?" The Zora blushed, and immediately started preparing the shark for transportation to hide his discomfort. Japas chuckled and followed suit. Evan glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it you don't want us to hear?" He bluntly asked.

Lyn paused. She wasn't sure why she _needed_ to talk to Ganondorf, but… something had changed with their bond and she was willing to bet it had something to do with that. "I need to have a personal conversation with the Gerudo." Evan nodded and dived in to help move the shark. He would trust her word for now.

Lyn walked back towards the Pirates and Aveil smiled. "Well… That is our cue to leave." The Pirates that had disembarked boarded the boats. Aveil gave Ganondorf half bow and Lyn, the respectful acknowledgment of a Priestess. She walked back towards the boats and smirked at the Gerudo King. "I leave you with your _katabi_, Your Majesty. The Gerudo are truly blessed." As soon as she stepped foot on the boat, they pushed off.

Lyn blinked, then turned to Ganondorf and he felt a small pick of fear. "There better be a good reason that she called me your fiancée."

Ganondorf let his forehead fall into his palm. "How many d_iλi vayaeü _have you encountered, Lyn?"

"None aside from our situation," was the immediate response.

Ganondorf sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This could make things much easier for him to court Lyn, or could make his life hell. He glanced around and looked at Lyn. "Could we take this conversation somewhere a little more private, _Éšíλ_?" He asked, unthinkingly using her formal title with the energy she was giving off and to convey the seriousness of the situation.

Lyn held his eyes and seeing he was uncomfortable, she pulled out her ocarina and played, forcing the field to encompass them both. Ganondorf closed his eyes against the winds and feathers, raising his arm to protect them further. When the winds stopped, he opened his eyes to find himself overlooking a forge and stream. "What the…?"

"This is the northern mountain, home of the Gorons. I have lodging north of the village. Follow me and please watch your step." Lyn stayed silent the whole hike to her home overlooking the village. She passed the hot spring and made a note to stop there after the day was through. She had a feeling she would need to distress, judging from the emotions pouring from the King of Thieves.

When they entered the house, Ganondorf gave Lyn the time to grab a drink and lean comfortably against the doorframe before he spoke. "Gerudo and Pirates can sense the bonds that tie together. Any _esha_ can sense our alliance and my debt to you. You would be able to sense it among any of the other Gerudo or Pirates. As to why she said that…" He proceeded to choose his words very carefully as he felt her anxiety spike. "You… have saved my life twice without the first debt paid. It is… Tradition that any Gerudo who gets themselves bound twice over to an outsider offers their hand in marriage to cancel the debt and regain their honor." He sardonically grinned. "It has only ever happened six times before now."

Taking a deep breath, he knelt down on one knee as male tradition demanded, bowing his head, lowering his body closer to the ground. He pressed his hands into the stone floor in front of him, almost on all fours. He felt her surprise and suspicion, but he focused on the task at hand. He then spoke in the Gerudian tongue and let the appropriate words pour forth. "Lyn, my lady, I, Ganondorf of the Gerudo, lower myself before you to offer my life to you, to bind myself to you; to devote my life to you. I will guard your life in times of strife, provide in times of want, follow you to the ends of the earth for where you go, I will follow. I will be with you in triumph and failure, health and sickness, joy and sorrow. I will be yours, as a friend, lover, husband and stay with you for all eternity."

"Why must you…?" Lyn asked, almost rhetorically, barely registering that she said anything as she practically fell into a chair.

Ganondorf winced, but he spoke, not daring to look up at this point. She was in charge of the situation and knew how proper proposals went. This was his only chance and he could not afford to jeopardize himself now. "Males are second class citizens to the Gerudo. Even as King, I am only barely exempt from certain laws and that does not include this one. If a male brings dishonor to himself and cannot regain it, he is banished from the tribe. With two debts, I have no hope of reconciling my obligation and remaining with our people unless you again let me keep my honor intact by accepting." The unspoken 'and no other tribes or races accept the Gerudo' weighed heavily on her mind. She could very well be sentencing him to death if she refused.

She closed her eyes as her mind raced. He needed an answer and soon. Grasping onto a fragment of an idea, she opened her eyes and leaned forward. Cupping his chin and forcing his eyes to meet hers, she uttered the words he was dreading to hear but were her right, "Prove it."

Ganondorf's demeanor instantly changed, eyes flared back to life, anger and desperation coloring the irises. "I cannot beat that demon that looks like me, how can I even hope to defeat you!" He all but shouted, rising to his feet. He ran his hand through his hair turning to face, "and are you even giving me a fair chance? I don't know what he did, but I will not stand for being judged for something I did not do!" He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, his hand covering his eyes.

Lyn sighed and decided the hell with it. There was no winning in this situation. "I promised you I would tell you before we left Termina, might as well now." Ganondorf looked up, tilting his head to see her. "Though it would be easier to show you." She stood, crossed the room in two steps and sat in front of him. He didn't have the chance to react before she gently but firmly pressed their foreheads together. Then everything went black.

He recognized the forest immediately; though the Kokiri forest looked much better than it had last he saw it. Then he heard someone shouting. He turned around and saw a child who could only be Lyn curled up on a bed with a fairy bouncing around. He didn't pay much attention to the conversation, but stared at the child, who was just waking up. She was missing the marks… The next few hours were a blur. The only thing he found of note was the Great Deku Tree died. He had only been peripherally aware of its existence before the forest had burned down. Snippets of pertinent memories ensnared him, just giving him enough background to understand what was going on when he saw Ganon. The other male looked more like him at this point, but his dark magic had already started to warp him, his eyes locked on Lyn.

Ganondorf recognized that look, it was amusement and a spark of recognition that something great was growing here. Which was why he let Lyn—Link—live, Ganondorf figured. It was what he would've done. So he continued to watch. He watched as Ganon stole the Triforce from Link, watched as she aged seven years, becoming the gorgeous warrior he knew now though he did recognize she was still ten mentally. He watched Link deal with the temples as a child in an adult's body, fighting and carrying on with more determination than some of his people. He watched the year it took her to defeat all of the temple bosses and reveal Zelda. Then he saw the fight with Ganon. She held her own. They fought, matching each other with Link just barely holding the upper hand. Then Ganon stopped and stared at her, as if seeing her for the first time.

Then Ganondorf recognized it. The same look, same thoughts he had when he first realized Lyn's power. Lust, the want. And he was horrified. Link was mentally eleven, physically eighteen. He had watched, no one explained anything about reproduction or courting to her. He saw her horror and the fear that she was going to die during her first monthly cycle. He moved in front of her, and Ganon walked right through him. He shivered, the energy so alike and so different from his own sticking to him like oil. All he could do was turn around and watch.

Link was exhausted, but she knew she was close to winning. They had taken the fight to the lower level once Ganon had punched the floor apart. She tightened her grip on the Master Sword and took a few deep breaths for her reprieve. She didn't know why the King of Evil had paused, but she was thankful for it, using the time to open a bottle to let out the fairy. As it swirled around her, she noticed Ganon was staring at her, his eyes boring into her, hungrily as he hovered in the air, his presence filling the room even more than it had previously. He looked at her like the men in the bar looked at the lady workers. Then it suddenly clicked as he rushed her. She yelled, swung and sliced deeply into his side but he ignored the pain and blood. He pushed her to the ground, forcing her hands above her head; holding them down by her wrists.

Ganon knocked the Master Sword away and Link screamed as the chains he summoned to hold her down clamped onto her wrists, forcing more electricity into her system as she screamed and thrashed. When the energy dissipated, she laid there, throat raw and exhausted. That's when she felt Ganon tearing off her tunic. Snarling, she fought back to little avail and increasing fear as he set the ruined tunic to the side and lay on top of her, pinning her down.

"You have a beautiful form, Link. It is a shame you were not born to one of my people." He whispered in her ear before trailing kisses down her neck, causing her to shiver. "But, then again, if you had, you wouldn't be as pure as you are now."

Lyn furiously pulled at the manacles to no avail, trying to ignore whatever torture Ganon was doing. You didn't kiss just anyone! What was he playing at? She reached for the Master Sword, only for Ganon's right hand to cover hers. What surprised her was that there was no pull; he wasn't trying to rip the Triforce of Courage from her body. Then he kissed her on the lips, cupping her cheek with the other hand, almost like she was his sweetheart.

Then he went for her throat.

Ganondorf forced his expression to remain impassive as he watched his twin draw blood, marking her. Ganon stood and loomed over her, his voice almost desperate as he spoke. "You can have the world, Hyrule. Your life will be your own, you will be free to come and go as you choose. You are too powerful, your magic too strong to keep me from breaking my word. You can have whatever you desire, just stay by my side and rule with me." He snapped his fingers and the manacles fell free before he offered his hand.

Lyn desperately reached for the Master Sword one last-ditch attempt, the tips of her fingers wrapping around the handle, pulling it further into her hand. With one last yell, she moved and thrust the blade into his chest as he stepped towards her. Ganon collapsed. He looked up at her from his knees, then the sword. "This isn't the end, Link." He looked back up at her, before forcing himself unsteadily to his feet. Link tried to pull the Master Sword out to stab him again, but he grabbed the blade, face contorted with pain as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "It may be in a few years or centuries from now, but I will escape. I will find you. You will be mine. Your power will be bent and made _mine_." He roughly kissed her before she shoved him away. He collapsed, coughing up blood. Link forced herself to walk up towards him and pull out the blade. She raised it one more time and with a sudden fury, stabbed him through the forehead. She was about to stab him again and again and again when the Sages intervened and banished Ganon to the Sacred Realm.

Ganondorf watched as the memories faded as Zelda transformed Link's body back into that of a child's... And sent back to live with the Kokiri. To live with the eternal children who could not understand their friend's pain or suffering.

Ganondorf opened his eyes, and he moved instinctively to pull Lyn close as she shook. "You didn't have to relive it!" He sighed as he stroked her hair, careful not to touch her neck or wrists.

"I was tired of running from it. He's back. I need to be able to face him." She sighed and pulled away; face immediately falling into her business mask. "And so do you."

Ganondorf looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"There are four temples here in Termina. You have to find them and get into them in this order: Woodfall, Snowhead, Great Bay, and Stone Tower. You will find your way into the boss rooms, where you will face me four times. I will use the skills, powers and techniques I knew Ganon had last and limit myself to those." She helped him stand. "If you do beat me in one of these fights, I will accept your proposal."

"And if I lose all of them?" Ganondorf asked warily.

"We'll just have to see." Lyn replied with a weary smile. "You have two and a half weeks to beat the temples and fight me. I will meet you in the boss's chamber, though, just so you know, I may drop some surprises on you."

Ganondorf glowered, but clasped his hands together and bowed. "I accept your challenge, and pray the Goddesses' will let me shine in a favorable light." He cautiously drew forward and before he could change his mind, sank to one knee with all of the grace of a predator. He pressed a kiss across her knuckles before exiting, presumably to find Woodfall. As soon as she could no longer sense his presence, she threw up her barrier to the bond and silently mourned the loss of Link.

Glossary:

_Hantia (hahnteeah)_: warrior/fighter, used out of respect

_Vés (vehs)_: beautiful

_Bųžųš (boo-shu-oosh)_: thief

_Esha (Pirate, I-shah)_: Sister

_Katabi (Kah-tah-bee): _fiancée

_Diλi vaya (deelee vahyah):_ life debt.

_Eü (ay-oo): _indicates plural

_Éšíλ (Ehsheel): _Title for the high priestess, ultimately the power-holder of the Gerudo.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I am looking for a beta if anyone is interested. This chapter is a little shorter, but I am attempting to update more frequently.

Chapter Five

Lyn was cursing herself as she quickly gathered her thoughts. She had contemplated using the temples as they travelled to help him train but challenging him had been completely spur of the moment. She froze as everything hit her and swore in a colorful mix of each of the seven languages she knew. _Two fiancées_. Ruto, even if she didn't see herself as _seriously_ engaged anymore, would still be pissed. Continuing her unheard tirade, she discarded her previous plans and made her way to the Deku Kingdom first. Ganondorf was resourceful; he would make it to the temple fairly quickly. Not even bothering to transform, she approached the guards and they let her pass unchallenged. She quietly strode into the throne room, which was deserted except for the Princess and the Butler's son. She smiled slightly. She had learned the spell to return him to proper form in her past life and had managed to cast it before leaving Termina the first time. And judging from her pseudo-sister's challenging glare, there was something going on. Good for her.

"Lyn!" He gasped, blushing as much as a Deku Scrub can.

She just smiled. "Good afternoon. May I have an audience?"

The Deku Princess nodded and dismissed the butler-in-training. "What can I do for you, root sister?" She asked, sitting on the throne. Lyn sat idly on the platform it was on, facing the other girl.

`Taking a deep breath, Lyn told her everything. The Princess was one of the few individuals who knew about the majority of Lyn's life, so the Deku was able to keep up. By the end, the Princess was showing her mirth on a range of snickering to outright laughing. Not that Lyn was surprised, but at least she had agreed to her requests for use of the Temple and troops for war amid the cackling. Lyn mentally sighed. At least the Princess was as good as her word. If the King rejected either 'request', the Princess would beat him into submission and things would go as she ordered anyway. She could count on forty Deku Scrubs on the appointed day, that Ganondorf would be granted audience and that he would be allowed to train at the temple out of this. It used up a lot of the goodwill the Deku Kingdom extended her in gratitude for her previous service. Lyn did not mind; she agreed to all of her requests, which was more than she expected.

Once that business was settled, she went to the Temple and scouted it out. Looking it over, it was literally child's play. However, this was a temple for the Deku. She couldn't change it too much and the other three temples would be challenging enough. She sighed. The boss battle would just have to be the training for this temple. Decided, she made her way to the boss's chamber. She had some things to prepare, as well as some giants and witches to talk to.

Ganondorf's mind greatly resembled the snow swirling around him; thoughts and plans being made and instantly discarded. However, one thing had been clear; she hadn't shown everything. And though she didn't show the memory, her reactions to both him and Ganon were too severe for that bit of molestation he'd seen. Definitely traumatic to an eleven year old, any one really, but…. He gritted his teeth. If his guess was accurate, the crime Ganon had committed was given the worst punishment among his people. He reluctantly shielded his portion of the bond, muting but not concealing his emotions as he pondered this. Zelda had seen. Zelda had returned Lyn to her child body. Zelda may have literally turned the clock back to prevent a pregnancy. He would not put it past his psychotic double to cast spells to ensure it took. Shivering, he increased his pace as he made his way down to the village. His cold had nothing to do with the snow.

Arriving in the village, he continued down the mountain to Clock Town. This whole ordeal was going to be a pain. He had no doubt that Lyn would shadow him enough to see how he treated the beings he came across in his search. This eliminated some of his usual methods of information gathering if the subject was unwilling. Sighing, he made his way to the inn. The innkeeper seemed friendly enough, if a bit… He shook his head. She should have the information he needed. If not, she could direct him to someone who did. He had no time to waste and thankfully, she did give him the intelligence he required. As he traversed the plain to the swamp, he discarded idea after idea of how to gain access to the temple. Being married to the Mayor's son, Anju was privy to a few details regarding the politics of the area: only the royal family of the Deku Kingdom was allowed to enter the temple. Or someone sent there by a member. He sighed once more and increased his speed. He absolutely detested swampland. The rain wasn't helping. He gritted his teeth as he made his way to the swamp tourist's center.

Normally, he absolutely loved the rain. The younger girls would be out dancing with the older women looking on. He'd be out there with them, dancing, spinning, and enjoying the gift of life that was so rare and was rapidly soaked into the desert sands. Here, the rain only added to the humidity and there was so much water everywhere that there was absolutely no need for more rain.

Jumping onto the platform, he quickly entered the building. He froze when he saw the two business owners talking in front of the photo counter.

"Koume?" He asked, absolutely stunned.

The witch looked up. "Oh! You must be that Gerudo man Lyn mentioned. She already paid for your tour." Which led to Ganondorf somehow finding himself standing on a rickety old boat, listening the apparent Swamp Tour Guide trying to wrap his mind around seeing a doppelganger of one of his mothers of all people. Thankfully for his sanity, they soon stopped at the Deku Kingdom and he disembarked. He paused and looked over the Deku Palace. Two sentries; pitiful. And plenty of entrances if he so chose. However, Lyn had gone through the trouble of paying for a boat ride… She obviously wanted him to make it. So he approached said sentries.

"I am Ganondorf of the Gerudo. I have come to request an audience with your King."

One of the sentries rustled its' way to the surface, squeaking, "You are expected. Please proceed straight to the throne room. Don't wander off!" Its shrill voice attempted to deepen in warning. It was trying to be intimidating. Cute.

Ignoring the Scrub, he continued down the hall into the Audience Chamber. He kept his expression neutral as he overlooked the Scrubs on his way. However, entering the chamber, upon a quick but thorough evaluation, he found only one other being in the room: a younger Deku female—the Princess, perhaps—as she definitely had the air of authority.

Ganondorf bowed. "I extend my gratitude for being allowed an audience." He was laying it on a little thick but if his instincts were correct, any major player he came across in Termina would know his soon-to-be-officially-betrothed personally. He didn't doubt that Lyn was close to this female either.

"Gratitude is unnecessary. I am not seeing you because I wish to." Ganondorf stiffened slightly, pulling some of his magic to the surface instinctively. The Deku got up and noisily made her way to him. She circled him. He let her. "Hmph. And you intend on courting Lyn?"

"Yes." He didn't care if the question was rhetorical or not. It was what he intended to do, even if it was a little out of order. He kept that rueful thought to himself. He had hoped on courting her as normally as was possible for the Gerudo, not that his fiancée necessarily knew that…

She snorted again. "Fine. You may access Woodfall Temple." He was not quite sure how a Deku's features managed to convey a smirk, but she did so with disquieting ease. "If you can enter it, anyway. I am confident in that you cannot play the Deku Pipes."

Ganondorf had to agree with her on that.

"There are signs set up by the Tour Agency that will point you in the right direction." She shrugged. "Who knows, my sister seems to favor you so far, you might just be lucky." Ganondorf raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he bowed at the dismissal. Exiting the Palace, he did as the Princess suggested and followed the signs. To his partial surprise, the Temple was already above the water. Evaluating the surroundings, he saw that flying was his best bet as he could not utilize the Deku Flowers. He had the sinking suspicion that flying would soon be his main method of transportation during this excursion. Maybe this whole test. Gathering his energy, he pushed off, skipping the platforms and the bugs guarding them and landed gently in the entrance. He took once last look, sent out an energy pulse that revealed no traps in his immediate surrounding area in the temple, and stepped inside.

Glancing around the temple entrance, he decided to conserve his magic for the flying that would be in his immediate future and pulled out his bow. As a proud Gerudo archer, he immediately shot down the two dragonflies. He then glanced around the shadows lurking at the edges of the hall. Yeah… No guarantee he could get up on the other side and he could feel the presences that gathered. They were weak, but many. Waste of energy either way. Shrugging, he leaped into the air and landed on the other side momentarily before squeezing through the door to the main chamber of the temple. To his surprise—already—Lyn was on the giant wooden flower in the middle. She sat on one of the pedals, on the edge, letting her feet trail in the water. She did not glance up, but did acknowledge his arrival through the bond. He did not sense her at all, not even through their bond until she sent the greeting…. He did not give her enough credit, it seemed. Leaping down, he landed on the petal beside her, using his magic to slow his fall so he did not snap the ancient wood.

He walked over and sat down next to her, and let her speak first. She spoke softly after a moment, her mood melancholy across their connection. "This temple was made by the Deku—there are few enemies that you'll encounter as they worship here regularly and none of the monsters are worthwhile after your training as a Gerudo. There are puzzles and traps, but most of them are already solved or disarmed and to revert them would mean poisoning the water…" Obviously, she had an issue with that. She stood. "Use it as a warm-up. You'll need to find the Boss Key. I'll meet you in there." She stood, movements slow and silent. He stood as well and when he turned around she was gone.

Half a day later, he was ruefully reflecting that it had been a while since he had expended so much magical energy for flight. He had expected that Lyn meant to use the Temples as training exercises. This one had been easy as Lyn promised. However, this was only the first temple and thus… it would be the easiest. He leaned back and closed his eyes. The boss room was in sight so he was resting for a moment. He had no doubt Lyn would not take it easy on him, even if she did pull her punches metaphorically speaking. He had seen her in action—he was actually a slightly terrified of what she had in mind—but becoming an outcast and losing such a powerful ally (not to mention one of the few women he had ever been attracted to) was not an option, so after he had a slight breather, he entered the room.

Although he expected it, he was startled slightly when the door slammed down behind him. He moved into the darkness, step light, senses on alert. He scanned the room, even sent an energy pulse up towards the ceiling and saw—as well as sensed—nothing.

He grunted as he was thrown into the wall, Lyn's scimitar at his throat. "Check underground as well next time," Ganondorf snarled—he hadn't sensed her through the bond (again!), despite his attempts at increasing its sensitivity on his end—"But you figured that out…" She finished the thought as he tilted his head back to prevent blood from being drawn. Her expression was grim. It struck him, that even with the dim light, how well he was able to read her with her mask on. A minor victory to be celebrated at a later date. "You have little time to get stronger; to survive encounters with Ganon or even to prove yourself to me." He did not need the reminder nor did he have time to conjure a shield as the plasma bolt tore into him. Grunting, he forced his body to relax as the current ran through him. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Make the most of it." Moments later, his muscles began to obey him again and he brought up his gaze and caught Lyn's eyes as she pulled away. He was struck on how close they were and if he leaned forward just so he could kiss her. He pushed the thought away, cold anger at being restrained surfacing.

He instantly had a knife in hand, holding it against her throat. The corner of her mouth curved up slightly and she disappeared. Ganondorf exhaled violently; he fell for an illusion. Elementary mistake. He paused for a moment, sensing… He rolled out of the way just as a scimitar plunged into the space he had been occupying. He somersaulted and came up standing. Snarling once more, he withdrew his scimitars and faced Lyn.

He barely dodged another plasma bolt as surprise slowed his reaction time as he faced what appeared to be his doppelganger. 'Ganon's expression was flawless and Lyn held the posture perfectly, wrapped in the illusion. If it weren't for the fact he knew the being in front of him wasn't Ganon, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference, she replicated his aura so completely. Ganondorf actually shuddered at that thought; repelled by the aura. 'Ganon' lifted his arm, the Triforce glowing and Ganondorf braced himself for the attack.

Steel sang as blades met, musical accompaniment to the blurs of gray and silver as their wielders danced. Ganondorf forced himself to see the illusion, and faced his false twin. They moved back and forth, blows hard and unforgiving, with no one holding the upper hand as time passed without notice. Her strength exceeded his own, Ganondorf cursed as as he was pushed back. But she was not using her full ability. He did shout this time as another plasma bolt, crackling with ill intent, collided into his chest and sent him flying to the ground. He forced himself to move to avoid the elite guard flying spinning attack that would've ended his life. Incensed, he sent his own burst of energy at the illusion. To his surprise, 'Ganon' merely smirked and redirected the energy back to him with a flick of his cape. Ganondorf snarled as he returned the trick. 'Ganon' dissipated the energy. Their blades met once more.

After what felt like hours, Ganondorf was beyond livid. He could not land a single solid blow! He moved as fast as he could, summoned all of his might and it still was not enough. Logically, he knew Lyn was creating a realistic experience but that did not stop his anger from swelling forth. By this point, both were covered with blood from trivial wounds. Ganondorf growled and cast one of his nastier spells, one that slowly burned the victim alive from the inside out. 'Ganon' sidestepped it and raised an eyebrow at him. For the rest of the battle, magic was as liberally used as steel. Fire was added to the repertoire used, 'Ganon' disappeared and reappeared in shadows, lightning leaping from the darkness as it was added to the intricate dance of death.

And the thrice-damned Hylian was still holding back!

After another small eternity, 'Ganon' pulled back and the two circled. "Heh." Ganondorf chuckled before training his eyes on her, dispelling the illusion. Absolutely nothing and everything to lose. If he was going to lose or win, it was going to be to her. He attacked her once more, drawing on every last reserve, every ounce of power. He gritted his teeth. His temper was getting the best of him, causing him to act rashly—he could not afford careless mistakes. So he cooled his temper, tempered it, using it to drive his energy into a sharp point. She was going easy on him. He needed to win and he could use that. If failing that, make a good enough showing to still be considered worthy. It galled at his pride, he was the best warrior and warlock the Gerudo had produced in generations and here he was barely able to hold his ground when he could not afford to lose…. With one last snarl, he sent one last bolt with everything he had. He did not even see if it connected before he blacked out, crumpling to the floor.

At least the darkness didn't hurt.

When he came to, he was in the same spot where he collapsed, still exhausted and now unable to move. As well as wishing for oblivion. He kept his eyes closed. He had failed. He opened his eyes when he felt Lyn help him to a sitting position, holding a water-skin. He tilted his head back and leaned against her as he accepted with water, the warmth of her body comforting to the bruises and sore muscles. His fiery eyes met hers as he tilted his head further back. "How long was I out?"

"Two hours."

He took another drink. "Did that bolt make contact?"

She shifted and he could feel the charred fabric of her tunic against his neck as she lowered him down to the floor. "Yes."

Ganondorf did not allow himself anything other than a vindictive smile—and even that hurt. Lyn didn't comment. He then took a deep breath and asked the one question he was unsure he wanted to know the answer to: "How did I do?"

Lyn didn't answer for a long time. Ganondorf felt… he wasn't sure. Scared, perhaps? Anxious, terrified? Lyn spoke so softly he barely heard her. "You… exceeded all expectations."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, but he felt the relief flooding through his body, releasing the tension he had unconsciously accumulated in those brief moments. "How would I have done in a real fight against him?"

Lyn shrugged and shook her head. "Ganon rarely uses blades. I am confident that you are more skilled than he is and fairly matched in physical strength." She paused. "You would stand a chance in physical combat, if you got to him first. However, Ganon prefers magic, so a physical fight is fairly unlikely, unless he gets arrogant or sees that type of fight as beneficial." She shook her head. "It's unlikely, but possible. If it does happen, chances are, odds are in your favor anyway. Ganon has a tendency to underestimate his opponents."

Ganondorf was unsure of how to respond to that. But that information did give him a small sense of relief.

"Your tenacity and endurance will definitely help." She chuckled. "You held out for six hours, you know that? I was fighting with my full physical strength, which is approximately equivalent to Ganon's, and used some of my Goddess-granted abilities." His eyes widened slightly as she showed him the glowing Triforce mark on her hand. He could feel the energy it was exuding. She had a wry expression on her face. "And I suppose you won the challenge on default because of that."

Ganondorf bolted straight up, adrenaline surging through his body. "What."

"I limited myself when I initiated the challenge to the abilities I knew Ganon had. During the fight, I impulsively through in some of my specific talents he would not have access to, see how you adapted and retaliated. You kept up. You adjusted." She graced him with another wry smile, her feelings inaccessible through the bond. "Unless you must beat me at or lose at all four temples to consider the challenge fulfilled, you won."

Ganondorf felt the adrenaline wearing off and the pain streaming through his body, but before he lost all ability to move, he gently grasped her chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "Please open the bond." He didn't beg. Gerudo Kings never begged. His tone was close though. She acquiesced, and he felt her shields fall as her emotions stormed through their connection.

Resignation: she'd keep her word. Hope: that she could have what she lost long ago. Apprehension: but not fear or terror of him, but there was a tinge of fear for him. She cared. She cared about him. He figured that much when she saved him from becoming fish food, but feeling it along the bond reassured him. She wasn't against marrying him; she was warming up to him. He dug deeper. How did she feel about his 'victory'? Her emotions hit him once more. She was relieved. Not necessarily that she was now his fiancée, but relieved she had the time to think things over, talk things over, get her space so it wasn't completely coercion. She had used the Shadow techniques knowing she potentially forfeited but it had been with the intent to push him, see how he'd react and to make him better, help him survive. Overall, she felt hope and apprehension. She wanted him to live and grow stronger, because of and in spite Ganon. She… Wanted him; beyond that. It was a deep thought, barely admitted to herself, but she did find him desirable. He opened his eyes, barely aware he had closed them when her emotions had reached him. Still grasping her chin, still meeting her eyes, he gave his own sardonic smirk. "As much as I would love to and am tempted to use that loophole, I refuse to have a victory on a technicality."

Lyn slowly nodded, her emotions once more muted and expression neutral. "However…" He deliberately closed the distance between them and his traced her jaw line up to the edge of her mask, "I think I deserve this in the least." He slowly pulled it down, fingers almost hesitant and painfully gentle; still resting on her cheek once the mask fell to her neck. He closed his eyes once more; giving her the time to pull away if she desired, before pressing his lips to hers in an unhurried, leisurely kiss. She unflinchingly returned the kiss, gently bringing a hand down his cheek, then to the back of his neck. It only lasted a few moments, both pulling away slightly, but as brief as it had been, Ganondorf had to admit it had felt right… Tender and surprisingly sweet. They stayed there a few moments, still close in each other's space, Lyn's hair creating a curtain around them as they savored the moment.

Which was promptly ruined when Ganondorf tried to get up, and epically failed with multiple curses and hitting his head on the floor. Still cursing as Lyn helped him sit on his own, she chuckled at his language. At her humor, he darkly scowled. "How is it you can move without wanting to die?" Ganondorf asked. Lyn hid a smile. She knew as a male he would deny it until the day he died, but it sounded like the King of Thieves was _pouting_.

Lyn shrugged. "I have always had more endurance than most. I could literally go fighting and running without any rest or food for days, up to a week, before I had the Triforce of Courage, but I have never had to sleep since I've received it." She elaborated when she felt his confusion. "Each piece of the Triforce gives its bearer boons: the Triforce of Wisdom grants immense magical skill, clairvoyance, premonition, among other things. The Triforce of Power makes its bearer immortal and gives limitless power. The Triforce of Courage gives me the physical ability to keep up with my determination. I can go literally a lifetime without sleep, basic rest or food."

She had. He had seen only snippets of her previous life—and he wanted to her full story at some point, but was pushing his luck as it was now—she had lived at least a year of her life that way. He almost felt… sympathy at that. Living as a Gerudo was tough, living as she had was… cruel. Even if she did not need the rest technically.

She pulled him up, ignoring his hiss of pain and teleported them out of the temple without another word. That was fine with him. Despite her willingness to talk he was confident that she was not fond of speaking. Ganondorf wasn't sure how she got them to the inn without him collapsing but she got them up the stairs into the room and let him crumple onto the bed. He was asleep a second after he hit the pillow.

When he woke, his injuries were only a dull ache and the clock on the wall informed him that it was eleven at night. Ganondorf paused. It had taken him a day to find and get through the temple. They had fought well into the night. He had wasted a full day. He cursed, barely noticing the food and note. He forced himself to calm down and eat while reading.

_Ganondorf,_

_I have made the appropriate arrangements for your admittance into Snowhead. Expect more opposition in the temple. _

_Lyn_

After perusing the blunt message, he idly incinerated it and quickly finished his meal before leaving the inn. It was again easy work to figure out where the temple was located, but he visited the Goron Village on impulse first as the sun started to rise. All he needed was some sort of fanfare aside to announce "Dawn of the Third Day: 360 Hours Remain" to keep him on track. And unlike Lyn, he did need some rest, especially if the other battles were to be as or even more brutal. Clearing his thoughts, he walked across the bridges, idly incinerating the Wolfos before entering the village. His welcome was unexpected. Unlike the Deku, the Goron sentry welcomed him and ushered him into the Elder's home.

The sentry left him at the door, so Ganondorf entered alone. He took a quick look around the place before he was approached by a young Goron, no older than a toddler when viewed in Gerudo/Hylian years. "Are you Mr. Gannyorf?"

For some reason, he knew the kid butchered his name on purpose but he let it slide. "Ganondorf." He corrected, taking care to keep his tone and expression neutral but still he couldn't stop his eye from twitching. "And you are?"

"I am Darmi! The Goron Elder's son!" The brat was also way too cheerful. "Daddy said to keep you company until he got back."

Ganondorf's eye twitched again, but he smiled politely and let the kid pull him around the stone home. By the time the Elder got home that afternoon, Ganondorf was beyond grateful. The kid was a handful and a half. The Elder was grateful for the free babysitting and offered to let Ganondorf stay the night; who gritted his teeth, forced a smile and agreed. The feast had been an unexpected bonus. Obviously the rock sirloins were for the Gorons but there were some excellent steaks and an outstanding vegetable stir-fry served for him. During the meal, the conversation took an interesting turn for him; the Gorons started discussing Lyn.

She had already talked to them, and from what he gathered listening to battle plans and their thoughts on her request, most held high opinions of her but some held a slight resentment. The Elder soon answered why. Apparently his confusion had showed.

"Lyn saved us from extinction. It was about ten years ago… We were caught in a bad winter. The Skull Kid had been possessed a by a mask of great evil and cast a curse on Snowhead, as well as the other temples. Darmani, our village's Hero, went to the temple to break the curse… He was killed in his attempt." The Goron paused out respect for the fallen and there was a definite lull in the conversation. "He was a great Hero, but he was ill equipped. My son took his nickname in his honor. When he died, his spirit was restless as he failed in his task. Lyn put his spirit to rest and was granted his abilities to destroy the curse in his place. She succeeded. It was a little time later, after all of Termina had been saved that she revealed the truth to us. As a result, a few of us still resent the deception." He gestured to some of his kinsmen.

"Understandable." Ganondorf neutrally agreed. "But the end might justify the means."

The Goron Elder made a noncommittal sound before making the announcement for the end of the festivities. He granted Ganondorf use of the guest room and the Gerudo retired for the night.

He was up before the sun, but the Elder and Darmi were up and handed him a pack of fresh food and arrows. "You will need them." Was all the Elder stated before staggering off.

Darmi walked him to the door. "Good luck Gannyorf!" He shouted as Ganondorf walked away. He felt his eye twitch again.

Lyn stepped out of the shadows once Ganondorf was out of range. "Gannyorf?" She asked, tone slightly incredulous.

Darmi just grinned.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Two days. Two Goddess-forsaken days. Lyn had done this when she was thirteen? Ganondorf groaned as he hit his head against the wall. True he could just fly up to the top of the Temple, but he found that he had to take the time to find that blasted Boss Key first. He knew Lyn put it strategically so he had to go through the whole temple. Not to mention the various traps she set. Those surprises she mentioned... Swearing once more, he pocketed the key and soared to the top of the tower once in the main room. He leaned against the wall there, trying to collect his breath. Damn. That woman was going to kill him. He had rested over the night and he was still pushing a few of his limits. Sighing, he downed a blue potion that this world's Kotake had given him before entering the chamber.

He was not startled as the door slammed behind him, though he was slightly surprised to see Lyn astride a summoned horse, with another tethered by him at the entrance. She grinned, mask gone for once and amusement was singing through their bond. She was gorgeous when she smiled, he noted, taking a moment to appreciate the image before him. She was, quite frankly, intimidating, even to him. He had survived sandstorms, raids, the brutal magical training every major player in the Gerudo tribe went through. But seeing her, perfectly at ease on that horse, power concealed, scimitars in hand and a grin that sent the fear of all things divine through him… He suppressed a shiver and grin, ignoring his body's reactions—such as the flaring of his aura in a subconscious attempt to show his power in an effort to attract her, among other things—as he prepped the horse beside him. She gave him a look as his appreciation showed both on his expression and through their link. _She_ didn't appreciate it, but she was amused. "I hope your horsemanship is up to par." She tossed him a traditional Gerudo pole-arm. "Your goal is to dismount me. Magic and weapons are allowed. Doesn't matter how you get me off the horse; you just have to do it." She smirked. "Don't bother trying to dismiss the horses."

Ganondorf scowled, with no real animosity behind the expression. He figured Lyn wouldn't make it that easy for him, but he had checked just to be sure as he sub-spaced the weapon.

"It's currently early morning… So I'll give you until nightfall. If you can't by then, you fail." She summoned a clock and set it at the entrance. Another scowl. Unlike some, he had mortal limitations. His sourness seeped through the connection. She laughed. Ganondorf paused, a wicked grin slowly spread along his face, matching her smirk.

"How about we make things more interesting?" He asked, walking over, so his hand rested on the mare's neck as he looked up at her. If they were in the desert, this would have felt ridiculously normal.

Lyn looked down at him, eyebrow raised.

He smiled. "We've established that if I win, we're officially engaged. However… If I manage to dismount you, I—within reason, of course—get one request that cannot be turned down."

"If you fail?" Her face was expressionless, but he still felt the amusement.

"You get one such request from me." He smirked, daring her. His instincts were rarely wrong and they were telling him this was his last chance. The other fights would likely be similar to the first and he was the best rider of the tribe. Why not go all out? More incentive to win. He knew what he was going to ask. Appropriate timing is all that it would take.

Lyn considered the offer for a moment before she sharply nodded and her horse reared, pawing the air before it took off down the track. Ganondorf wasted no time mounting his own steed and charging after her.

Ganondorf was able to keep her lead to a minimum as the horses raced along, jumping hurdles and avoiding other miscellaneous obstacles that Lyn had installed—such as the trees. She was extremely good, moving as one with the horse. Ganondorf smirked. If she wasn't holding back, he was better. If she was… this was his opportunity.

That's when his horse balked as a bomb went off. Ganondorf cursed under his breath at the sheer hilarity singing through their connection and her fading laughter. Shouting, he urged the stallion forward and raced to catch up with her. He suspected it was a circular track and he could just wait, but he was not too keen to find out what surprises waited for him if he did that. Lyn, he was finding, was vicious. His lips twitched. He could appreciate that.

He fought and brought the beast just a length behind Lyn. She glanced back, a smirk playing on her lips as another bomb went off. Ganondorf anticipated it and forced the steed to keep to the grueling pace and on course. Then the horse balked again as a stalactite fell in front of it. He didn't bother holding back the cursing this time. Glee sang through the bond. His volume increased and he gritted his teeth. By this point, it was afternoon. He spent most of his time gaining on her, fighting with the horse against the terrain, and was losing his ground literally in moments.

He wasn't surprised when lightning was once again added when he got close again and spent at least an hour fighting to get close to her again, this time he succeeded in drawing close. Finally, Ganondorf brought his horse alongside Lyn. He gritted his teeth. Time was almost out… For whatever reason, she decided not to throw another surprise his way and they fought as they raced along the track, weapons clashing in between obstacles and time passed in a blur. Soon, they both were relieved of their long-range weapons and were reduced to their personal blades. He, in a move he was quite proud of, disarmed her of the Master Sword, leaving it spinning into the track. In retaliation, she disarmed him of his scimitars so he was down to his daggers while she retained her own scimitars. They she nearly dismounted him by forcing him into the trees.

Ganondorf forced his way through the trees and was surprised to find they had not lost much ground and was able to almost instantly draw alongside once more. He grimaced. She looked back and was about to draw her blades to reengage him. …Normally, leaving your own steed in battle was a VERY bad move, but this was a one-on-one match and he had exhausted his other options. And he quite literally had no time…

Ganondorf jerked the horse closer, gathered his strength and sprung. He tackled her off the saddle as a result of the last ditch effort, both in free fall as the clock bellowed nightfall and time up. They tumbled to the ground, a twist of limbs, until they rolled to a stop that resulted in Lyn pinning Ganondorf. Ganondorf was irked that Lyn wasn't even sweating (though it was not unexpected) while he was panting for breath. Ganondorf met her eyes, calloused hand brushing her cheek inches away from his own—they were that close. The bond was open; he could feel her muted exhilaration after battle, triumph that her training was succeeding…

Ganondorf propped himself up, smirk stealing across his flushed face as he whispered breathlessly in her ear, "I won fairly, _sa __Λ__atifa_…" Emotion _flared_ from both ends as the bond increased in strength, depth in response to her vows regarding the completion of his test. He rolled them over, Lyn giving little resistance as he pulled her close and Ganondorf was surprised when he felt the pure unshielded desire along the bond. He was even more so as she firmly grasped the back of his head, slender but strong fingers threading through his hair, and pulled him into a kiss.

It was completely unlike their first kiss. Though there was that element of tenderness, there was more raw passion. He hungrily trailed kisses along her neck as she dug her nails into his back. Rubbing his slight stubble against her cheek, he closed his burning eyes. He pulled her close, feeling the fire coursing through his veins, the throbbing arousal… He kissed her passionately once more before pulling away; ignoring both his and her disappointment. It was mostly his. He met her sapphire eyes, grin tugging at his lips when what he wanted to do was shout to the world his victory. Lyn rolled her eyes and shoved her off him in response to his satisfaction, but she was smiling he noted.

Standing, he pulled her to her feet. "I know that I have not gone about this with the most tact or held to tradition," He paused as he summoned an item into his hands. "However, I do wish to rectify that now." As he had on the mountain, he sank to one knee and gently took her hands before he placed the object into them. "Lyn, while I was a little quick to proclaim it so—"

She cut him off, leaning forward and kissing him as required. "I accept, Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo." She deliberately did not think of the socio-economical implications of what she was doing. Ganondorf stood and smiled as they felt the bond settle completely into place. He looked completely relaxed for the first time since Great Bay, though a little irked that she was able to close so much of it off. He was handsome when he smiled. She looked down at the piece Ganondorf had handed her—it was a finely wrought and rare forehead jewel that was absolutely saturated with protective enchantments.

"I received it when I became King." Ganondorf quietly informed her as she handed it to him to help her with it. "It's been the formal engagement piece for at least a thousand years." He carefully rearranged her hair before he placed it. Stepping back, he was struck on how right it looked on her. The red diamond and fine gold did not seem out of place, but rather complimented her hair and facial structure. Even her color-varied warrior attire did not clash. That was not even covering how well the spells meshed with her own magic. He was slightly perturbed at how well, if it they matched any better it would have been made specifically for her.

She pulled him close, resting her cheek against his shoulder. The horses vanished and he founded himself a blurred moment later back at her residence on the mountain, their discarded weapons strewn about them. "You do realize we can't proclaim it when we return?"

Ganondorf grimaced. "My people will know." He had thought about it; Lyn was the commanding General of the Hylian Army. Such a political alliance could be beneficial after the war, but announcing it during could show and promote favoritism; not a desirable outcome.

"They also won't talk about it." Which was true: Gerudo matters were kept within the Gerudo.

"They will still force what tradition demands…" He warned.

"And it will be dealt with when we get to it." Lyn sighed as she pushed him towards the back. "Enjoy the hot spring, get cleaned up. You still are doing the other temples for training. You will want the night to relax and get back on the road in the morning."

Ganondorf smirked and with a suggestive tone asked if she wanted to join him as he looked her over. Lyn smiled and shook her head, though there was a tinge of regret in her eyes if he was not mistaken. By the time he had cleaned up and had enjoyed a quick soak in the spring, she had been long gone, only leaving another letter, informing him that she had gone to Great Bay. He left that night_._

Mikau did not know whether to laugh or cry as Lyn relayed the events of what had happened since her last visit to the bay. In the end, he ended up laughing. "Only you, sister!" He chortled, clutching his stomach.

Lyn leveled a glare at him. "I'm glad this is amusing you."

"You have no idea!" Mikau cackled as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Just wait we have the wedding feast!" He had been trying to get her to settle down with a nice fish for years. He did regret that it wasn't Japas, but only a little. The bassist only cared about music and the events that had brought them together previously would not occur. She was his sister, even if not by blood in human form or mating, so she deserved to be happy.

Lyn froze. "Wedding feast?"

Mikau turned his own glare on her. "Of course! You are one of us, despite being a landwalker. You wouldn't have told me now if you didn't at least think about having one. Although, you would've told Lulu if you outright wanted one…"

Lyn groaned but did not deny the statement. Even if it turned out that a Great Bay wedding was not recognized outside of Termina, it still would help cement her position after the war and keep her out of any unwanted marriage contracts. And that meant she had two weddings celebrations to look... .wait, no, three: one at Great Bay, one at Death Mountain and one with the Gerudo. That was not including if she had an official Hylian wedding either. She grimaced. She was not looking forward to Ruto's reaction at all.

"So, we will have it when you return from the Temple?" Mikau casually asked. "We do need some time to prepare to give a feast befitting one of the warriors of the tribe."

Lyn just shook her head and walked away with the intent to her beach house. She bought it back from the guy after the moon was back in orbit. "I leave it entirely in your and Lulu's capable hands brother." She had some work to do when she got him if they were planning a wedding feast. It would not do to be unprepared.

Mikau's grin, if she had turned to see it, was more shark-like than anything else.

Ganondorf landed at Zora Hall and ruefully sighed at his low magic reserves. He _really_ had done more flying in the past few days than he had in years. He entered the hall, where few Zora were still up. He cast out his waning energy to find Lyn. He was more than a little irked that she still managed to completely block her side of the bond. Failing to find her through that, he turned his attention on her engagement piece instead. He tensed, unable to sense it either. Panic didn't set in yet, but it was getting close when he felt a wisp of her presence, assuring him she was all right before she cut her side once more. He was beyond irked, though he was slightly reassured that she had contacted him, when he ran into one of the warriors that had been with her at the meeting with the Pirates.

The warrior stopped when he saw him and made his way over. "Lookin' for Lyn, right?" He asked. Ganondorf tersely nodded. The Zora laughed. "She's settled in for the night. None of us really know where." Ganondorf relaxed, just a little. The Zora stuck out a hand. "Mikau." He introduced himself.

"Ganondorf."

"Her fiancé, right?" Mikau asked, although he already knew. No need to alert the desert man about the wedding. Lyn wasn't likely to tell him, much if at all, so that made this all the more fun.

"Yes."

Lu wasn't likely to approve, but he could live with that. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He wasn't going to pass it up. However, he looked the human over. He needed to find out if Lyn planned on introducing him to the transformation magic. They could do the feast in human form, but there could be some issues as he was distantly related to the Pirates.

"Ah. Pleasure to officially meet you." Mikau looked at him closer and noticed the bags under his eyes despite the apparent energy the man was exuding. "C'mon. You can stay in my room tonight. I'll be with Lu anyway and Tijo is with his girl too." He didn't let his soon to be brother-in-law argue and led him to the room. He motioned to the ladder. "My bunk's up there. And I promise it's clean." He let a teasing and slightly malevolent smirk express itself.

Ganondorf ignored the jibe, expressed his thanks and gave the Zora a slight bow before Mikau left.

"An' don' worry Kilsik, Lyn will be here in the morning for band practice." Mikau called over his shoulder as his plotting continued. The newly—and ironically—dubbed Kilsik just stared after him. The name was fitting though. He should probably inform Ganondorf of some of the traditions before the feast, if Lyn didn't do it herself first. He let another predatory grin slip across his face after he turned and left. Though seeing his look of surprise when Lyn claimed him would be entertaining, to say the least.

Lyn made her swim across Zora Cape before the sun was even up, making her quite early for practice. She shifted back to her Hylian body and was rather surprised when Mikau greeted her, not to mention the fact he had been waiting for her. Zora were almost nocturnal as they lived with the tides, and as a result, with the moon. She was immediately put her on edge when her brother grinned.

"Mika! What a surprise!" He was obviously expecting her. He never called her by her gifted Zora name unless he was either extremely serious or had some nefarious prank in mind. It was usually the latter. She raised an eyebrow. Zora did not have eyebrows, so it was a slight boon to her expression, but even as a Zora the look would have gotten her point across regardless. "Fine." He pouted. "I just wanted to know if you were going to force-change Ganondorf." For the wedding was not added.

"If we are to traverse Great Bay Temple, I will have to." She sighed. Mikau hid a smile. That made things a little bit easier. "I was originally taking him there just for training, but if you are forcing a feast, I might as well follow warrior's tradition."

Warrior pairs were very rare now, but because of her Zora namesake, it had been tradition for warriors in the tribe for centuries. Mika had been the first warrior-hero of the Zora tribe and she instilled the warrior leadership that was slowly being shadowed by the band. Mikau had been named for her and he named Lyn after her once she was officially adopted into the tribe as his "twin" sister. As one of the two great warriors of the tribe, it was her right to take her mate, if he was a warrior, to challenge the Great Bay Temple. Success proved her and her pair's worth and gave them right to leadership of the tribe. Lulu was no warrior, thus Mikau had not taken the warrior's challenge but he still was the unofficial leader of the tribe, though Toto and Evan had great say due to the fact they handled the tribe's finances now.

Hers would be the first warrior pair in over a decade as there was no doubt her in mind that they would succeed. And that would ensure a rather lavish feast, despite the short notice due to the fact that the tribe, unlike half of the Goron Village, really _really_ liked her. It didn't hurt that she was part of the band… and that Mikau was still alive.

Mikau pulled her from her thoughts as he started to strum his guitar. Lyn joined him and they both quietly played, melodious despite that Lyn didn't know what he was playing and was just playing by ear. The band found them playing shortly later and started the practice.

Ganondorf woke to the sound of the band playing. It was a relaxing tune, one he would learn later was the Ballad of the Windfish. He leisurely stretched and jumped down from the platform. Making his way to the stage, he felt relief washing over him as he saw Lyn in her Hylian form and felt her along the bond. Then felt the rage and concern boil underneath his skin; she wasn't wearing-! But then he paused, casting out his magical awareness just before she turned to face him as the song ended. She was wearing the jewel, he just couldn't sense the magic. His fury abated and curiosity over such a powerful technique took over. A glamour or some sort of illusion. He was unfamiliar with it, couldn't even begin to unravel it. Hylian or Sheikah magic, perhaps? He'd have to ask later. Either way, his attention went back to the cause of his concern and irritability. She needed to let him in through the bond. Not being able to sense her was driving him crazy.

She looked at him, sighed and opened the connection; obviously feeling his frustration. As King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf had many bonds with his fellow tribe members. It wasn't that he didn't want to close any bonds, it was that he couldn't. Not being able to feel his friends and family was beyond discerning. Not being able to feel his Queen, the one who held the strongest bond with him, was terrifying. He understood her hesitation to open her mind to him. He really did. But he was raised with a pathological needed to feel those he was close to as all Gerudo were, and that now included her. She had proved to understand that a little, but he needed more. _Slowly_, he heard her voice, _just let me work toward it._ She gave him a wistful smile and he sharply nodded. She smiled, and her attention was pulled back to the music. It would have to d.

She was trying. Keeping an open bond wasn't something she thought of anymore, with mortals anyway. She couldn't close her attachments to her spirits. And being bound to Ganondorf was still unsettling, despite her attraction and her knowledge of the differences between him and Ganon. Old habits died hard, but she was trying. She focused on the bond for a moment, measuring their connectivity. She widened it just enough so he could get a feel on her state of well-being and major moods, as well as locate her before sealing it—for the moment—there.

Ganondorf gave her a genuine smile as he leaned back to listen to his betrothed sing and play, content to at least able to sense her near. It was a step. And there would be many more.

It was after practice and the other band members wandered off that Ganondorf approached her with his question.

"How many illusions?" It was blunt.

Lyn wryly answered, "Enough." She glanced at him and seemed to connect the dots. "You wish to see me without them?" She was obviously hesitant to do so.

"It is a reasonable request." He had won their bet after all.

"Very well. I keep my word." Her blue eyes looked up at him with a smirk. "But you knew that." Then she started to drop her illusions.

The first to go was the one arguably the strongest. He stared. He could feel the magic from the engagement piece once more and her aura increased exponentially. It didn't reveal anything different about her appearance, but he could feel the drastic difference in her power level. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as her power overwhelmed him as the Triforce on her left hand glowed and the red Priestess marks contrasted against her pale skin. Her aura was older. Not Koume and Kotake older, but at least a hundred years, definitely older than him. It also… darkened. Not evil, not malicious, just weary experience and dealing with shadows. There was determination, power, courage, wisdom and a taste of all of the magics he had ever encountered.

Then another one dropped, more of a notice-me-not than a full illusion. Scars appeared on her skin. Some were light streaks of silver, others were remnants of ugly wounds—though those were only the ones visible on her arms. He could only imagine the ones that would be on her torso.

Then another illusion dropped. He stared as sapphire blue eyes turned to an amethyst, then maroon before settling on blood red. Blond hair lightened and streaks of silver appeared, pale skin became even more so. More markings appeared under her eyes, silver lines that looked like tears. "Sheikah?" He asked, golden eyes wide. Granted, some Gerudo were possessed of red eyes—for a variety of reasons. He was no exception—mostly when he had strong emotion and it was only a red tint, the remnants of his tampering with darker magics. The red was more pronounced with his double. He pulled his thoughts back to the matter at hand.

Lyn's smile was tight. "A few centuries ago, a Sheikah married into the Royal Family, before the tribe was betrayed. Once Sheikah, always Sheikah. However, the blood is very dilute and it takes... great need to show itself." He could feel a variety of emotions—most of them fleeting.

"Great need?" He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Originally, it was multiple wars and fighting for my life. In this life, I spent a lot of time meditating and putting myself in exceedingly dangerous situations." She smirked. "It helped that I had awakened the traits in my previous life."

He paused. "What did you look like in your previous life?"

Lyn snorted. "Not that different from now."

He let it drop and Lyn put the illusions back up; the jewel now completely unseen. Ganondorf forced himself not to comment as he followed Lyn to the outlook in the back of the Hall in silence. They stood, overlooking the island and the ocean. She pointed out the temple in the distance but was otherwise silent. On impulse, he moved closer and hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder as they gazed out over the water. She didn't lean into the embrace, but she didn't pull away either. He was pleased to note her mood was just pensive, though it did brighten up when she moved to do a delayed Greeting. Her mood perked up a little more when he joined her.

After they finished, she turned to face him; serious once more. "If you're going to make it through the temple, you're going to need to shape shift." She informed him out of the blue. "Objections?"

He sent his consent through the bond. She turned to face him. He kissed her, briefly, just brushing his lips against hers. She returned the kiss, desire warring with hesitation. He let her pull away, sending reassurance through the bond. No rush, even if he did want to drag her off somewhere secluded at least three times a day.

She ignored that thought. "It will hurt. But once you go through it once, you'll be able to change yourself back and forth at will." She rested her hands on his shoulders, and the _pain_ began. His skin was on fire, his bones breaking, muscles tearing in a minor eternity—and as soon as it began, it was over.

He staggered, but Lyn gently grabbed him and helped him to the ground. He looked up and saw her in her Zora form as well. She grinned, and it was all fang. "I force myself to change when I force change someone else." He just stared. Apparently one got used to that pain. He pushed that thought out of his head, as he was still sore and suddenly really irritable.

She laughed and looked at him. "Suits you." Surprise and appreciation colored her voice. She helped him to the edge of the water and let him peer in.

His build was a lot like Mikau's. Unsurprising, as that was the case for Lyn as well. However, where Lyn was greens and blues and Mikau was blues and tattoos, he was far from it. His base color was gray, almost black, with brightly colored streaks of red and orange on his torso, fins, arms and head. He could see some tattoos—similar to Mikau's and Lyn's—on his skin, which showed he was a warrior of the tribe according to Lyn. What struck him was the difference in the expected Zora head-fin. Mikau had the base for streamlining, but no actual fin. Lyn almost seemed to have "hair" that was pulled back in that general shape for the same purpose. The "hair" was a mix of what seemed to be electricity producing tendrils that looked like thick strands of green human hair with metallic beads to amplify the fields. The strands seem to attract one another when not in use and if one discounted the gender and style differences, she looked no different from Mikau when she was relaxed. Both had "bangs" that framed their faces, but Lyn had strands of green there as well.

He obviously took more after Lyn. There were orange-red barbs sticking out of his scalp, much like his normal hair in how it looked: there were so many it looked like a full head of hair. He guessed they were poisonous. He tentatively touched them, careful to avoid the ends. They were surprisingly soft, almost like porcupine quills, but he could feel the poison leaking out at the simple touch, confirming his guess. There were some long orange tendrils as well that nearly went to his waist, but he guessed they were more along the lines of poison or sensors than producers of electric current. He found out they were more like sensory antenna when he realized he could sense the air currents. As he looked at his reflection, he started to relax as Lyn massaged his sore muscles lightly and he began to actually appreciate his "new" body. As he relaxed, the barbs did as well, seeming to sink back into his skin, which gave him the traditional head-fin Zora look, if only barely and in a completely different color. He smiled and examined his fangs. His eyes, he noted, were not completely the usual jet-black. There was a hint of gold, as Lyn had a hint of blue.

Lyn smiled and proceeded to show him some of the different abilities of his new body before dumping him in the bay to get used to swimming. He was surprised with how well he adapted, but he supposed he was for all intent and purposes a Zora, so maybe not that surprising. It was pleasant when she joined him. They spent most of the day in the Bay: swimming, getting him used to talking in the Zora tongue and getting him used to his abilities. It turned out that he was poisonous, which compensated for the fact that he wasn't able to generate the electric shield like Lyn was. When he did use magic, he found that he was able to "throw" the barbs, regenerate them and control his poison output to the point where he could immediately poison the area surrounding him. He was a little disconcerted about the loss of the electric shield. It would have been a useful talent to have as the poison had differing effects on different species—other Zora weren't affected at all.

His breath was taken away when Lyn showed him a coral reef. It was interesting, seeing the different fish, colors—everything, so very different from the desert, even if the colors were similar to the desert in bloom after a rain. All bright and beautiful. And deadly. He felt concern over the bond. He let out a chirp and let the echolocation come back to him, giving him a clearer picture of his surroundings than his eyes. He had to take a deep breath; it was a shark: different species, according to Lyn, but a shark nonetheless. He forced himself to relax, not to tense or panic. And it was hungry: they barely were able to move out of the way when it attacked.

If he had the time and wasn't about to made lunch, he would've appreciated the grace and beauty of the predator. As it was, he summoned his spines and poisoned the fish in short order. The venom worked rather quickly; despite the shark's immense size. Lyn came in beside him and helped him dispatch the creature. It was all rather anticlimactic. There was an island not too far away, so the two Zora pulled the catch up to the shore and Lyn showed Ganondorf the proper Zora way of taking care of a successful hunt. It was not that different from what his people did; they gave thanks to the spirit of the animal, praying while they cleaned the meat and salvaged what they could. Lyn started a fire, and was very careful not to burn herself as she cooked. Zora often ate fish raw, but Ganondorf wasn't quite up to that yet even if he could handle it biologically speaking. They both kept an eye on the flames while they prepped the skin for use and took the teeth for jewelry and decorative purposes. Lyn also scavenged a good deal of the skeletal structure, stating it was useful for instruments and other repairs around the hall. She diced up the organs and what they weren't going to consume for bait. If they didn't use it, the fisherman would.

She handed Ganondorf the skin once it was properly taken care of, as well as the teeth. He understood. His kill, his prize; just as the shark that had attacked him had been hers. It was nearly sunset when they returned to the Bay, dropping off a good deal of the meat and all the bait at the fisherman's before going to the Cape.

Lyn was gratified at Mikau's awestruck expression when seeing Ganondorf.

"Hey Kilsik!" Lyn glanced between the two.

"Named him already?" She asked, not terribly surprised. It was a fitting name.

Mikau just hummed and looked over the Zora-Ganondorf. "Huh. Haven't seen one of the deep-sea tribes in a looong time," unsurprising, as they were thought to have died out in the past couple decades. The last known member passed away when Mikau had been a tadling. "Useful though. Potent poison, though the effects are negligible on Zora." Lyn felt a little relieved as Mikau continued to inform Ganondorf about his abilities; she had some meat to give out. Mikau continued with his comparisons as Lyn walked away.

"Our tribe is better with sensing electromagnetic fields—working with electricity electricity in general—but we don't have poison; and few of the tribe can generate electric fields even if we can sense them." He sounded a little jealous of the poison—which wasn't too surprising. It would have been helpful with the pirates, as the electric fields were only useful in the water. Once Lyn was gone, Mikau immediately changed the topic of conversation. That was fine with Ganondorf, he had learned what he wanted to know.

"So, what did you catch?" He could smell the blood—faintly—on him and Lyn and was curious. He laughed when he was shown the tiger shark pelt and teeth. That would be perfect. Zora couples did not exchange much as far as wedding gifts as Zora did not own much aside from their instruments and tools. Clothing was rare, but a sharkskin half-robe or armor was a prize that was passed for generations for shark attacks and hunts were rare. He knew Lyn was taking the hide from the great white she had slain and making armor out of that for him as her gift. Lyn was an excellent artisan and her work was very practical as well as eye-catching. The gray-black and white skin would compliment her betrothed nicely, as the striped and multi-colored tiger shark skin would fit Lyn well.

He paused and decided to hell with it. "Are you planning on marrying Lyn soon?"

Ganondorf paused at the bluntness. "Would be preferable."

Mikau hmm-ed. "Do you know anything about armor-making?" Ganondorf shook his head. Mikau smiled. The garment didn't have to be made by the betrothed. "Any plans for it?"

Ganondorf shrugged. "I know our culture is very new to you, but may I make a suggestion? As a betrothed warrior pair, it is not uncommon for armor or similar garments be traded. Sharkskin is very prized. Mika—Lyn, sorry—already has a tailored set of sharkskin armor. However, my mate—Lulu—is very gifted with making garments out of it. On her behalf, I can say that she would honestly be happy to make a gift out of that skin for you as an engagement present."

Ganondorf evaluated him for a moment, measuring his sincerity before handing over some of the teeth and the skin. Mikau accepted it and bid the desert dweller farewell shortly. He had a few suggestions and supplies to drop off at home. This would placate Lu a little bit. Aaaand make her wonder what happened to the idiot she initially mated with. Mikau chucked as he walked off. Responsibility would do it…

Ganondorf stayed with Lyn that night at her house on the beach. They did not share the same bed, but Ganondorf was content—for the moment—with sharing the same living space. And it was convenient for her to keep an eye on him while he practiced the transformation. It still hurt every time he did, but it did become more manageable. By the time they went to sleep, he was able to transform flawlessly while ignoring the pain.

He woke to her shaking him awake the next morning. He grumbled, but followed her out for a Greeting. They consumed the last of the previous days' catch before swimming to the Cape. Lyn quickly stopped to see Mikau and inform him they were going to the temple. The true Zora just waved them off before rolling over and curling up next to Lulu. Lyn rolled her eyes and they left the hall to go to the outlook in the back. Ganondorf couldn't bring himself to be surprised when the sea turtle turned out to be the island and had a full ten minute conversation with Lyn. They boarded the turtle and departed for the temple. Once they arrived in what appeared to be a loading dock, Lyn waved off the turtle's offer of sticking around and they were alone. And completely surrounded by water. Ganondorf transformed into his Zora counterpart. He was born and raised in the desert. One day of frolicking as a Zora was not going to undo that. However, being in a form that could breathe underwater helped his unease at being surrounded by it.

Lyn rested a hand on his shoulder, letting him take comfort in her proximity before leading him into the temple. He gaped at the pipes of the first room and was stunned by the great rotation chamber. Overall, he was very impressed with the waterworks—he had never seen anything like it!

"Technology in Termina is a lot more advanced than in Hyrule, and it has been around for a long time. The Pirates built their Fortress back when they got along with the Zora and they keep it beautifully. The Zora built this temple a long time ago—and the warriors were, and still are, the ones who maintain it." She smiled at Ganondorf's stupefied look. "I know; it's hard to believe the most technologically advanced race is the Zora. But look at their sound systems, instruments. All of it powered from here. While they live simply and very in tune with the ocean, they are also the foremost engineers in Termina." She laughed once more. "Would you believe that Japas and Mikau, along with being prodigious musicians, are also phenomenal engineers?" She did not say it, but the Zora had developed all of the water-powered technology in Termina.

The test in the temple for warrior couples, along with testing their combat abilities, also—back then at least—meant the temple was overlooked for problems and issues during the trials. Lyn had learned enough of engineering to be able to notice when something was wrong and make a temporary fix, but that was it. Her talent was getting through the temple and reaching the out of the way areas. Mikau was infinitely the better engineer but he lacked her problem-solving skills.

Ganondorf snorted in disbelief, but followed her when she dived into the water.

.

Translations:

Sa (sah): My

Λatifa (Lahteefah): Queen

Kilsik: Relentless Shark

Mika: Inescapable Riptide; the original warrior-hero of the Zora tribe, established their way of life.

Mikau: male version of Mika; true descendant of the great Zora heroes, the most prominent being Mika.

Tijo: Solid Rock

Japas: Peaceful Tide

Evan: Good Spirits

Lulu: Famous Warrior. While she is not a warrior herself, she is the acknowledged guardian of the temple, despite never setting foot inside it because it is her heritage. Her children will most likely make the title mean something once more.


End file.
